Distance Learning Students –
Interview with a Former Student

The following is verbatim from a recent college graduate who utilized online correspondence classes to supplement her degree program:

I was working on a double major at the time, but still wanted to graduate within four years. I checked with my advisor, and he told me that my school offered online correspondence classes.

The costs were about the same – $150 for each credit hour, so each class was about $450. They were both English Writing classes – Travel Writing and an Intermediate Fiction Workshop, I think.

When I registered, I was mailed the book list, syllabus, and envelopes. The envelopes were a nice touch since they were already pre-addressed and stamped. I went to the university book store to check out the textbook, but saw that it was only recommended reading and not required for the course. Looking at my syllabus, I decided to hold off on buying the book until I got further into the class to see if I really needed it.

The syllabus had all my assignments spelled out for me. I remember one was to sit in a crowded area, like the student union, and write about the location as if I were explaining it to someone who’d never been there before. Most of the assignments were self paced, and since I stayed up at the university through the summer to work, I could squeeze in the homework almost whenever I wanted, like during breaks or whenever it was slow at work.

I think I ended up finishing all the assignments in the first three weeks, because it was something I was interested in and my previous classes already helped me understand the material and what the professor was looking for. I only mailed them out one at a time, though, and waited for the professor to send it back to me with his comments.

Honestly, they were the easiest classes I’ve ever taken, and since writing is such an individual thing anyway, the classroom experience would have just prolonged the learning. I really liked being able to work on my homework whenever I wanted to. And I guess it worked since I got an A in both classes and was able to graduate on time.