WSU students weigh in: online classes versus lectures

As WSU students finalize their schedules for the upcoming semester, the following question arises: should I take this class online or in person?

While spots fill up and the time to dwell on choices dwindles, senior biomedical engineering major Teja Karra and sophomore biology and anthropology major Tr’e Anna Smith, dissected the pros and cons of both learning options.

Although Karra believes that choosing between taking a course in person versus online depends upon personal preference, he likes in-person lectures better.

“Whenever I’ve had online classes, it’s been very difficult for me to keep track of everything,” said Karra.

For example, when Karra took MUH 1351: History and Styles of Rock and Roll online, he said that he would always struggle to remember what was coming up during the week or exam dates.

Karra said that if a class relies on a lot of homework or involves a lot of exams, it is helpful to see your professor in class because they can directly remind you of what you will have to do moving forward.

“With online classes, you don’t have consistent exposure to your professor on a week-to-week basis,” said Karra. “I guess it feels like there’s less of a connection with the actual instructor and also, it kind of results in me being less focused on what’s exactly happening in that class.”

Karra has even had the experience of taking the same class once online and once in person.

After first taking ENG 3050: Technical Communication I online and not preforming so well, Karra chose to retake the class in-person.

“When I took it online, it was considerably more difficult because that class in particular relies a lot on instructor feedback and going over your papers,” said Karra. “When I took it in person, it was like a night and day difference because I definitely had direct interaction with my professor and he was able to explain to me where I was going wrong and what I needed to improve.”

Karra said that newer students – freshmen or sophomores – should keep in mind that good time management skills are important to being successful in an online course.

On the other hand, he also said he has a lot of other friends that prefer online classes to lectures.

“They say being able to decide your own pace improves the experience, but it also varies from class to class,” said Karra.

Deadlines for online classes are typically before midnight on a certain day and Karra said his friends have found this helpful. Their schedules became more flexible because they could pick and choose when to work on assignments as long as they turned things in on time.

“Online deadlines can also seem a little bit more concrete to people. Like, if I don’t get it in at this time, I can’t actually submit it,” said Karra. “So they feel a little bit more motivated in that sense.”

Smith agrees with Karra’s friends. She prefers taking classes online and her overall experience with online courses has been very positive.

“You can do work on your own time throughout the day. You can sit anywhere you want. You can go home, go to a friend’s house, go to a park or whatever, and you can do your online work, versus lecture, where you have to be in class,” said Smith.

However, Smith said that lectures are better than online classes if you have a question that you really need to get answered, because of instead of having to set up an appointment, you can go right up to your professor and ask.

“Online, if you have a question, you can email your professor but it will take time for them to get back to you,” said Smith. “It’s more tedious."

Smith says that there’s a big difference between online classes and lectures.

“It all depends on what subject. For certain subjects, it would be best to go to an actual classroom or lecture hall. Others, you can easily do online,” said Smith. “If you know the material, you can go ahead in class much faster online.”

Smith believes that students who commute may find opting for online courses particularly beneficial because they can work from their beds, as opposed to making their way to campus.

“Coming down to park at Wayne State is kind of hectic. Say if you did take a lecture and you have class at 10:00 a.m. Most people will try to get here at 9:30 a.m. to make their class, and they have to find somewhere to park,” said Smith.

When choosing classes, Smith says that her preference for online classes comes from their convenience.

“With online classes, you can wake up, do your work, fall asleep, wake back up, grab something to eat, come back and continue on with whatever you were just doing,” said Smith.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both online classes and in-person lectures. The choice is both personal and individual, but as classes start Jan. 11, the choice must be made soon.

As the start of the new year ushers in the last week of break, it is within these last few weeks that WSU students can still shuffle around their schedules and swap out classes without penalties.

The last day to withdraw for classes, cancel tuition charges and keep dropped classes off academic records is Jan. 25.

Students who drop classes from Jan. 26 to Feb. 7 are liable to pay for said classes and the last official day to withdraw from courses is Mar. 27. Instructor approval for withdrawals is required beginning Feb. 8.

Contact reporter Aleanna Siacon: fv7748@wayne.edu. Follow her on Twitter: @ATerese11

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