I've recently learned an important lesson through my University of Phoenix education: DO NOT allow yourself to get behind in a class.
Having started the second week of my current class (Com 200) right after the holidays, I, admittedly, wasn't completely prepared to get back into the swing of things. This was definitely not a good thing, as UoP classes fit quite a bit of information and lessons into a one week period. And as someone who works two jobs while going to school full time, catching back up has been difficult.
However, even before the start of this class, apprehension was already setting in regarding the speed of each course. I often find it difficult to go back and review certain concepts that I learned in a previous week because I have so much to do now. This is unfortunate for me, as I'm trying to become as knowledgeable about my career field as possible. I want to make sure that I get this right. And there are people (especially parents) who have an even busier schedule than me, which is saying something.
Since getting behind, I have found myself reading a previous week's material as a new week begins, which, of course, sets me back from that week. The result is a struggle that fills me with even more anxiety than what I previously experienced with University of Phoenix's fast-paced curriculum. I'm absorbing even less information and feeling more stressed in the process.
Honestly, I know that I could do better with improved time management (and now see why that was such a heavy focus in my first class). However, life happens at times, and recovering from both a difficult event and lost study time can be challenging. Thankfully, this hasn't yet been the case for me, I just simply made the mistake of trying to have a social life while going to school and working two jobs.
The University of Phoenix is aware of its fast-paced experience and offers something along the lines of consolation. Assignments can be turned in late, but there is a catch (actually, more than 1). For each day late that an assignment is turned in, it results in an automatic reduction of 10-20% of the overall grade each day past the deadline (the percentage sometimes depends upon the instructor). If an assignment is more than two days late, it won't be accepted at all. As I learned the hard way, this is true even if you stay up really late that last night before getting up early to work, only to find that you forgot to submit it for that week. No exceptions, not even computer or power failure. Oh, and if you turn it in at all after the final week has ended, there is no grace period. The days are measured in Phoenix time, so that gives those of us living on the east coast a little more leeway (at the expense of lost sleep).
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Returning After a Break from my University of Phoenix Experience
Today was the first day of class after the University of Phoenix winter break. As with most schools, this encompassed the weeks of Christmas and New Years. Just before the break, I stopped by my local campus, hoping to take at least some classes on campus. The good news, according, to my student adviser, is that students actually can switch between a traditional and online class between each one. He also told me that while the local campus does not offer my concentration classes (journalism), they do offer classes in my broad degree (communication). Unfortunately, I was told that this was actually not the case when visiting the Atlanta campus. Needless to say, this information should always be verified with personnel at the actual campus.
On the brighter side, my current University of Phoenix class (Comm 200) is offering access to a wealth of knowledge relating to the coursework. This does add a strain to an already busy schedule. Fortunately, access to course materials are not limited to their given week. In fact, I am still able to access all of the materials for each class I've completed so far (not entirely sure how long this will last).
Just before the break, I also completed my English proficiency exam. This is an aspect of the University of Phoenix experience that students should only have to complete if they are transferring from another school after several years. Like a similar math exam, it will determine whether I need to take an additional English course. It consisted of a multiple choice test and an essay. An intuitive tutorial in the Center for Writing Excellence helped me prepare. I scored well on the multiple choice portion and actually achieved "distinguished" (the highest rating) for each category of the essay. I'm not sure if it is cause for celebration of my writing skills or a red flag of concern for lax grading requirements, but it did prevent me from taking another English course. So either way, I'm happy.
On the brighter side, my current University of Phoenix class (Comm 200) is offering access to a wealth of knowledge relating to the coursework. This does add a strain to an already busy schedule. Fortunately, access to course materials are not limited to their given week. In fact, I am still able to access all of the materials for each class I've completed so far (not entirely sure how long this will last).
Just before the break, I also completed my English proficiency exam. This is an aspect of the University of Phoenix experience that students should only have to complete if they are transferring from another school after several years. Like a similar math exam, it will determine whether I need to take an additional English course. It consisted of a multiple choice test and an essay. An intuitive tutorial in the Center for Writing Excellence helped me prepare. I scored well on the multiple choice portion and actually achieved "distinguished" (the highest rating) for each category of the essay. I'm not sure if it is cause for celebration of my writing skills or a red flag of concern for lax grading requirements, but it did prevent me from taking another English course. So either way, I'm happy.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Using Online Tools to Enhance the University of Phoenix Experience
When I first began my experience as a student at the University of Phoenix, I was pleasantly surprised at all of the tools provided to help enhance and further my education. Videos, books, tutorials, articles, labs, and even virtual workplaces are offered as part of the online school experience at no extra charge. In this particular post, it may seem as though I'm showing a bias for the school. I promise to remain objective in my overall description of my educational experience, but this is one particular area that I find extremely helpful. Why? Because even if the school's reputation becomes (or remains) tarnished, these tools provide students with a second chance at career success.
Regardless of a chosen degree program, there are an array of certifications that can enhance your career search. For example, a student seeking a degree in networking may find the Comptia A+ certification to be quite a useful resume bullet. And we could nearly all benefit from becoming Microsoft Office certified, given the suite's wide utilization. UoP offers an online library that features books covering a broad range of subjects. I often find the "For Dummies" books particularly helpful, and I've been able to locate one in the online library for every subject I've searched so far. They also include an array of other useful books, including "The Missing Manual" series and many others. Access is also provided to all textbooks utilized in the classes, even if one it is not a part of a selected career path.
But the University of Phoenix library doesn't stop there. Students also have access to a variety of interactive tutorials to help enhance their educational experience. Personally, I decided to use one of these to brush up on my HTML skills. The tutorial uses real examples to walk students through each segment of code, then allows them to complete certain sections along the way. Using this tutorial, students slowly build their coding skills until they are comfortable enough to draft a full HTML document.
However, some care needs to be taken with the expectations of the University of Phoenix online tutorials. Apparently, the University maintains each tutorial's existence once it is live. I originally began using an HTML tutorial that taught a number of tags now considered deprecated (in fact, many of them have been deprecated for quite some time). Students should always check the publishing dates for each tutorial, as there are few other ways to tell if a tutorial for a subject that you are brand new to is outdated (fortunately, I had already studied the basics of HTML before).
I was also intrigued by the "virtual organizations" offered from the online classroom. While I have not yet tried these for myself, they promise to provide real-world experience to prepare students for real-world workforce issues. Customer satisfaction, employee relations, and problem solving are just a few of the new skills that students can practice. Again, I haven't actually tried this yet, but will provide more information once I've had a chance to do so. If these virtual organizations fulfill the promises, they could go quite the distance in enhancing the University of Phoenix experience.
Student workshops are another useful tool offered online. These workshops cover a specific subject or area, such as a Microsoft Office program. The setup is very similar to an online course. All materials are provided through the New Classroom, just as all other University of Phoenix classes. Over the course of three days, an instructor will provide instruction for students to follow while offering a forum for students to address the teach and each other with questions or comments. No credits are offered, but they do provide an excellent opportunity to learn a new skill.
This just lists a few of the enhancements of the University of Phoenix experience. I wanted to show that there is more to the school's online programs than a potential student may have otherwise considered. Or, perhaps I am just attempting to make myself feel better, given the state of the school's current reputation. Either way, the online tools do offer a unique opportunity and may even help students find a new source of income while pursuing their degree. While UoP does seem to be working hard to repair their reputation, the future remains uncertain. Hopefully, these tools will offer a "plan B" should things take a turn for the worse. And if they instead improve, my resume becomes even more impressive upon graduation.
But the University of Phoenix library doesn't stop there. Students also have access to a variety of interactive tutorials to help enhance their educational experience. Personally, I decided to use one of these to brush up on my HTML skills. The tutorial uses real examples to walk students through each segment of code, then allows them to complete certain sections along the way. Using this tutorial, students slowly build their coding skills until they are comfortable enough to draft a full HTML document.
However, some care needs to be taken with the expectations of the University of Phoenix online tutorials. Apparently, the University maintains each tutorial's existence once it is live. I originally began using an HTML tutorial that taught a number of tags now considered deprecated (in fact, many of them have been deprecated for quite some time). Students should always check the publishing dates for each tutorial, as there are few other ways to tell if a tutorial for a subject that you are brand new to is outdated (fortunately, I had already studied the basics of HTML before).
I was also intrigued by the "virtual organizations" offered from the online classroom. While I have not yet tried these for myself, they promise to provide real-world experience to prepare students for real-world workforce issues. Customer satisfaction, employee relations, and problem solving are just a few of the new skills that students can practice. Again, I haven't actually tried this yet, but will provide more information once I've had a chance to do so. If these virtual organizations fulfill the promises, they could go quite the distance in enhancing the University of Phoenix experience.
Student workshops are another useful tool offered online. These workshops cover a specific subject or area, such as a Microsoft Office program. The setup is very similar to an online course. All materials are provided through the New Classroom, just as all other University of Phoenix classes. Over the course of three days, an instructor will provide instruction for students to follow while offering a forum for students to address the teach and each other with questions or comments. No credits are offered, but they do provide an excellent opportunity to learn a new skill.
This just lists a few of the enhancements of the University of Phoenix experience. I wanted to show that there is more to the school's online programs than a potential student may have otherwise considered. Or, perhaps I am just attempting to make myself feel better, given the state of the school's current reputation. Either way, the online tools do offer a unique opportunity and may even help students find a new source of income while pursuing their degree. While UoP does seem to be working hard to repair their reputation, the future remains uncertain. Hopefully, these tools will offer a "plan B" should things take a turn for the worse. And if they instead improve, my resume becomes even more impressive upon graduation.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Several Months into my University of Phoenix Experience
I took a bit of a hiatus from this blog for a couple of reasons. One, I have been incredibly busy (partially my fault, as I should have waited until after summer to get back in school). Two, I wanted to delve deeper into the University of Phoenix experience so that I could provide better insight for aspiring students.
As mentioned above, my schedule has remained quite busy since returning to school. As such, I have continued to complete my coursework online, which was not part of my original plan. However, that has already hit a bit of a snag anyway.
One aspect of the University of Phoenix experience I have discovered is that you must choose to take classes either online or on campus; you can't choose both. The University of Phoenix previously allowed students to switch between online and on-campus classes seamlessly, but this created more problems than it helped (according to my student adviser, who didn't really elaborate). Of course, you can change your mind at a later time, but attempting to do so too often will prove detrimental.
Admittedly, the dynamics between online and on-campus courses at the University of Phoenix is one aspect of the school that I did not research as thoroughly as I should have. At my previous college, we could choose from a mixture as often as we wanted. As such, I just assumed that the same would be true at UoP. At first, this was inconsistent with my plan, since the proximity of one campus was quite convenient for me. However, that campus has since closed anyways, forcing me to stick with online courses for now.
Like most aspiring students, I have experienced concern regarding an entirely online degree. And while this has not proven ideal in the past, the world is changing in accordance with technology and companies are taking note. I have spoken with a few hiring managers who have told me that it would not interfere with a candidate's chances if they complete their coursework online instead of on-campus. In fact, some have even said that they prefer to register their own employees with online coursework when sending them back to school, since it facilitates a less hectic schedule. Of course, there are still hiring managers that frown upon degrees earned online, especially at for-profit universities, as in a story from US News and World Report. However, these types of degrees do seem to be gaining traction. University of Phoenix recently received a prestigious ranking from Linked in, and this article explains why that matters.
It is possible that I will later switch to courses at another somewhat local University of Phoenix campus. I would primarily like to do this to facilitate better networking. While the online system features the PhoenixConnect networking platform, it doesn't seem to be heavily utilized by students. I'm not sure why this is, but I still think it would be easier to connect with other students that I interact with in person anyway. However, I am unsure of how this will affect the addition benefits of the University of Phoenix's online course experience. Currently, I gain access to a plethora of educational materials that can easily enhance my value in the workplace (the details of which will be covered in my next post). I'm not sure if these are more limited to on-campus students.
As mentioned above, my schedule has remained quite busy since returning to school. As such, I have continued to complete my coursework online, which was not part of my original plan. However, that has already hit a bit of a snag anyway.
One aspect of the University of Phoenix experience I have discovered is that you must choose to take classes either online or on campus; you can't choose both. The University of Phoenix previously allowed students to switch between online and on-campus classes seamlessly, but this created more problems than it helped (according to my student adviser, who didn't really elaborate). Of course, you can change your mind at a later time, but attempting to do so too often will prove detrimental.
Admittedly, the dynamics between online and on-campus courses at the University of Phoenix is one aspect of the school that I did not research as thoroughly as I should have. At my previous college, we could choose from a mixture as often as we wanted. As such, I just assumed that the same would be true at UoP. At first, this was inconsistent with my plan, since the proximity of one campus was quite convenient for me. However, that campus has since closed anyways, forcing me to stick with online courses for now.
Like most aspiring students, I have experienced concern regarding an entirely online degree. And while this has not proven ideal in the past, the world is changing in accordance with technology and companies are taking note. I have spoken with a few hiring managers who have told me that it would not interfere with a candidate's chances if they complete their coursework online instead of on-campus. In fact, some have even said that they prefer to register their own employees with online coursework when sending them back to school, since it facilitates a less hectic schedule. Of course, there are still hiring managers that frown upon degrees earned online, especially at for-profit universities, as in a story from US News and World Report. However, these types of degrees do seem to be gaining traction. University of Phoenix recently received a prestigious ranking from Linked in, and this article explains why that matters.
It is possible that I will later switch to courses at another somewhat local University of Phoenix campus. I would primarily like to do this to facilitate better networking. While the online system features the PhoenixConnect networking platform, it doesn't seem to be heavily utilized by students. I'm not sure why this is, but I still think it would be easier to connect with other students that I interact with in person anyway. However, I am unsure of how this will affect the addition benefits of the University of Phoenix's online course experience. Currently, I gain access to a plethora of educational materials that can easily enhance my value in the workplace (the details of which will be covered in my next post). I'm not sure if these are more limited to on-campus students.
Friday, July 11, 2014
New Class, New University of Phoenix Experience
So one class has ended and another has just begun. I managed to earn a 96 overall in the intro class and am now taking PHL 251/Critical Thinking. Unfortunately there wasn't really a break between the classes, and with the 4th of July coming in the midst of this course's start, I found myself struggling to keep up. As expected, the format of this online class is quite similar to the last, so I'm definitely getting a feel for what to expect during my University of Phoenix experience.
As with my last class, this one includes electronic reading reserve learning activities each week. I'm beginning to think that this is typical of any UoP class. These tasks will direct the attention of students to some articles within the school's online library, carefully chosen to supplement the course's subject matter. It will also usually include some search terms for students to use as part of their own research. As with most tasks and assignments, a discussion board is included with the reading task.
As my class moves into week 2, I have learned that we will be placed in learning teams and tasked with the development of a team charter. This continues the heavy emphasis that collaboration is placed on the University of Phoenix experience, and a new activity for me personally. I am hoping that I can really get a sense for the teamwork methods utilized by the school.
One of my next goals for the University is to expand my financial aid. I'm currently using federal student loans and also received a little FASFA grant money for this school year. Apparently, it was more than the total cost of my tuition, because I recently enjoyed finding a $1064 check in the mail as "leftovers" from my financial aid. Driven by this, I have decided to explore more scholarship opportunities, and the UoP website features plenty of sources for additional funding.
I have learned that networking is among the many keys to success in the modern economy and am always searching for new opportunities to connect with other professionals. The school offers PhoenixConnect, an online platform that facilitates this process as part of the University of Phoenix student experience. I plan to explore this tool in much greater detail and will cover my thoughts and experience in the next post.
As with my last class, this one includes electronic reading reserve learning activities each week. I'm beginning to think that this is typical of any UoP class. These tasks will direct the attention of students to some articles within the school's online library, carefully chosen to supplement the course's subject matter. It will also usually include some search terms for students to use as part of their own research. As with most tasks and assignments, a discussion board is included with the reading task.
As my class moves into week 2, I have learned that we will be placed in learning teams and tasked with the development of a team charter. This continues the heavy emphasis that collaboration is placed on the University of Phoenix experience, and a new activity for me personally. I am hoping that I can really get a sense for the teamwork methods utilized by the school.
One of my next goals for the University is to expand my financial aid. I'm currently using federal student loans and also received a little FASFA grant money for this school year. Apparently, it was more than the total cost of my tuition, because I recently enjoyed finding a $1064 check in the mail as "leftovers" from my financial aid. Driven by this, I have decided to explore more scholarship opportunities, and the UoP website features plenty of sources for additional funding.
I have learned that networking is among the many keys to success in the modern economy and am always searching for new opportunities to connect with other professionals. The school offers PhoenixConnect, an online platform that facilitates this process as part of the University of Phoenix student experience. I plan to explore this tool in much greater detail and will cover my thoughts and experience in the next post.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Documenting my University of Phoenix Experience
Three years after graduating with an Associates Degree in computer programming, I have chosen to return to school to pursue a Bachelors of Communication with an emphasis on journalism. Since I live near Atlanta, GA, I had an array of options to further my education. However, I also live a busy lifestyle and needed a school that could accommodate. Like many other student adults, I chose the University of Phoenix. However, it was no secret that the school's reputation has been called into question in recent years. As such, I decided to blog about my University of Phoenix experience. My hope is to assist others in making their decision from the first-hand experience of a student.
As of now, I am currently in the final week of my first class, which I am taking online. University of Phoenix assigns its students to one class per five week period, each of which begins on Tuesday. A broad subject relevant to the course is covered each week, with required learning activities and assignments grouped under sub-syllabuses of the main syllabus. These are easy to keep up with, as students can check off an activity as it is completed. A discussion accompanies each, encouraging and requiring students to discuss the topics among themselves. eBook versions of the required textbooks are also included within the online classroom, so there's no need to purchase those separately from your tuition.
Great emphasis is put on collaboration, and each student is placed within a learning team. The teams are encouraged to discuss class materials, help review each other's work, and, sometimes, collaborate on a project together. I have worked with academic teams in the past, but University of Phoenix enhances the experience with additional detail. If the group is to collaborate on a project, the team must draft a charter.
The online resources are as useful as they are expansive. A full eLibrary is included, complete with ebooks, articles, tutorials, workshops and videos. Popular publications, such as the "For Dummies" books, are included. The materials have already been reviewed prior to inclusion. And you can even research subjects that are completely unrelated to your major. This is probably the area that I am most impressed with so far.
Other alumni students have stated that the coursework seems rushed. It does go by pretty fast, but I think that's mostly due to the fact that you are only taking one class at a time, and they have to fit your cumulative classes within a certain timeframe for full-time status. So you only need to focus on one subject at a time.
Having transferred with an Associates degree, I already had most of my core classes out of the way. So, my first class (which I'm pretty sure is a universal one for all students) is GEN/201 - Foundations for University Success. It focuses on various attributes of successful people, including time and money management, collaboration, different types of intellects, having students identify their strengths, and so on. Some of the information was pretty much common sense, but I still found much of it to be useful and relevant.
Overall, I would say that my initial University of Phoenix experience has been a positive one. Of course, I'm still in the early stages, and have yet to see how much value my degree will have in the business world. I remain optimistic and will add more details about my University of Phoenix experience and the general flow of things in future posts. I'm sure there will be more topics to cover at later times.
As of now, I am currently in the final week of my first class, which I am taking online. University of Phoenix assigns its students to one class per five week period, each of which begins on Tuesday. A broad subject relevant to the course is covered each week, with required learning activities and assignments grouped under sub-syllabuses of the main syllabus. These are easy to keep up with, as students can check off an activity as it is completed. A discussion accompanies each, encouraging and requiring students to discuss the topics among themselves. eBook versions of the required textbooks are also included within the online classroom, so there's no need to purchase those separately from your tuition.
Great emphasis is put on collaboration, and each student is placed within a learning team. The teams are encouraged to discuss class materials, help review each other's work, and, sometimes, collaborate on a project together. I have worked with academic teams in the past, but University of Phoenix enhances the experience with additional detail. If the group is to collaborate on a project, the team must draft a charter.
The online resources are as useful as they are expansive. A full eLibrary is included, complete with ebooks, articles, tutorials, workshops and videos. Popular publications, such as the "For Dummies" books, are included. The materials have already been reviewed prior to inclusion. And you can even research subjects that are completely unrelated to your major. This is probably the area that I am most impressed with so far.
Other alumni students have stated that the coursework seems rushed. It does go by pretty fast, but I think that's mostly due to the fact that you are only taking one class at a time, and they have to fit your cumulative classes within a certain timeframe for full-time status. So you only need to focus on one subject at a time.
Having transferred with an Associates degree, I already had most of my core classes out of the way. So, my first class (which I'm pretty sure is a universal one for all students) is GEN/201 - Foundations for University Success. It focuses on various attributes of successful people, including time and money management, collaboration, different types of intellects, having students identify their strengths, and so on. Some of the information was pretty much common sense, but I still found much of it to be useful and relevant.
Overall, I would say that my initial University of Phoenix experience has been a positive one. Of course, I'm still in the early stages, and have yet to see how much value my degree will have in the business world. I remain optimistic and will add more details about my University of Phoenix experience and the general flow of things in future posts. I'm sure there will be more topics to cover at later times.
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