ng03 Posted January 15, 2014 Posted January 15, 2014 Hi all, I'm an out of field student that is planning on starting the long journey towards taking my leveling courses this fall and then applying to SLP Master's programs. I keep going back and forth with either taking the leveling courses online through Utah State, or full-time and in person via my local university, UW-Madison. I've heard great things about Utah State. It would be less expensive and I could potentially keep working while I take classes. On the other hand, I think that I might need the in-person contact with professors to hopefully get recommendations from them, especially since I am an out of field student with no connections in SLP right now. I'd love to hear other members' experiences with either taking their leveling courses online or in-person. Were you happy with your decision in either taking your courses online or in person? I'm also a non-trad student in my late thirties, so I'm worried about being out of place at UW-Madison, while taking leveling courses with undergrads. And no offense to undergrads, I just wonder if I would feel like I was an outsider as a non-trad taking classes in a traditional college setting. Thanks so much in advance for the help!
LMZ Posted January 15, 2014 Posted January 15, 2014 Hey NG03! I did courses through USU and loved it! I also worked through the whole year, I actually did their 2nd Bachelor's program, and I got a reference out of it as well. There is so much contact with professors and TAs it is quite incredible. You are allowed to ask 2 professors for academic references through the program, I highly highly HIGHLY recommend it. I cannot say this enough, but my online degree at Utah State blew my undergrad from Ottawa University out of the water. Hope this helps!
sayjo Posted January 15, 2014 Posted January 15, 2014 I'm taking my leveling courses through Utah State and I LOVE it. I have found the classes to be well organized and every bit as demanding as in-person classes. I took two courses last semester while I worked full-time as a teacher; now, I'm taking 5 classes and have cut back my work hours. The professors at Utah State will write you letters of recommendation. I had one Utah State professor write me a letter, but I also had professors who knew me personally write my other letters. Utah State has been the right choice for me, but some people do better with in-person classes. Before you make a decision, you should think about how you learn best and then decide if online or in-person courses are best for you. I wouldn't be afraid about being older than everyone either. When I did undergrad (in education), we had a bunch of students who were in their 30s and 40s. They were treated just the same as everyone else. Don't let your age make your decision for you. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions about Utah State!
Persis Posted January 15, 2014 Posted January 15, 2014 Hey NG03! I did courses through USU and loved it! I also worked through the whole year, I actually did their 2nd Bachelor's program, and I got a reference out of it as well. There is so much contact with professors and TAs it is quite incredible. You are allowed to ask 2 professors for academic references through the program, I highly highly HIGHLY recommend it. I cannot say this enough, but my online degree at Utah State blew my undergrad from Ottawa University out of the water. Hope this helps! LMZ, if you don't mind me asking. How much did it cost you to do the second bachelor's at Utah State since you are Canadian? Can anyone apply to take a course online? thanks
sayjo Posted January 15, 2014 Posted January 15, 2014 LMZ, if you don't mind me asking. How much did it cost you to do the second bachelor's at Utah State since you are Canadian? Can anyone apply to take a course online? thanks I'm pretty sure the cost for USU is the same no matter where you live. It's $275 per credit hour for online classes. See here.
Persis Posted January 15, 2014 Posted January 15, 2014 I'm pretty sure the cost for USU is the same no matter where you live. It's $275 per credit hour for online classes. See here. Oh okay. Great! Thanks sayjo sayjo 1
karita Posted January 16, 2014 Posted January 16, 2014 I am taking my leveling courses at a university here, and I am really loving it. I'm not sure how things would work at UW, but here, all the students who already have a bachelor's degree in another field are put in the 'fast track,' and we have only classes with each other. The majority of students are between 23 and 25, a couple students in their thirties, and one student who is in her fifties! I was worried about feeling out of place as well, but I have actually found that I have a lot in common with the other 'fast trackers' as we are all coming in from out-of-field. I'm also a mom, so getting out and being with other people has been a breath of fresh air for me, in a lot of ways. I consider the days I have class my 'days off' from mom duty. I can't speak for online courses, but it seems like a lot of people were happy with their experience going that route as well. Good luck with the decision!
MangoSmoothie Posted January 16, 2014 Posted January 16, 2014 I'm going to send you a PM about this. But to everyone in general, you should not be discouraged about people being younger than you! When I was an undergrad, there were quite a few non-traditional students in my classes, and the younger undergrads plus older students had no problems mingling. Speech path students in my situation tended to be very focused, which makes sense given that the major and choice is so specific. Plus, the benefit of recommendations if you're pressed for them is a really attractive benefit of on-site courses.
LMZ Posted January 16, 2014 Posted January 16, 2014 LMZ, if you don't mind me asking. How much did it cost you to do the second bachelor's at Utah State since you are Canadian? Can anyone apply to take a course online? thanks The tuition was around $9,000 in total, and if you are in Ontario - you can still get OSAP, I got full coverage! What a BONUS!
Persis Posted January 17, 2014 Posted January 17, 2014 The tuition was around $9,000 in total, and if you are in Ontario - you can still get OSAP, I got full coverage! What a BONUS! Thanks LMZ, that is awesome.
almurray Posted January 26, 2014 Posted January 26, 2014 Hey everyone! I just had a question about USU online second bachelor's. I was looking into it but was a little confused by the exams. It says that it you need request a proctor to take the exams. How does this work when you don't live in or near Cache Valley? Do you just go to a testing center near you? Thanks so much if anyone can shed some light on this!
sayjo Posted January 26, 2014 Posted January 26, 2014 Hey everyone! I just had a question about USU online second bachelor's. I was looking into it but was a little confused by the exams. It says that it you need request a proctor to take the exams. How does this work when you don't live in or near Cache Valley? Do you just go to a testing center near you? Thanks so much if anyone can shed some light on this! I just get my tests proctored at the local library because it's free. You can also use ProctorU if you can't find anyone to proctor nearby.
hopefulspeechie16 Posted January 29, 2014 Posted January 29, 2014 Hi LMZ and Asemooo, I'm in Ontario too, looking towards taking a course online at USU. LMZ do you mind if I message you about the OSAP procedures for USU and ask you about the courses at USU? It would be much appreciated, thanks!
hopefulspeechie16 Posted January 29, 2014 Posted January 29, 2014 The tuition was around $9,000 in total, and if you are in Ontario - you can still get OSAP, I got full coverage! What a BONUS! Thanks LMZ, that is awesome. Hi LMZ and Asemooo, I'm in Ontario too, looking towards taking a course online at USU. LMZ do you mind if I message you about the OSAP procedures for USU and ask you about the courses at USU? It would be much appreciated, thanks!
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now