Jon Gresham

Distance Learning at its Best: My Daughter's Own Story



Posted: Tuesday, October 13, 2009

by
civilsociety.Seedwiki

Hello!

As many of you friends probably know, I finished college after two years of distance learning (i.e., studying and getting college credit outside of the traditional college setting). I've been asked if I could write a paragraph or so to explain what's been a new but very profitable experience for me and my family....

From the beginning, when we were discussing higher education options, I liked the idea of continuing study at home. I've always been homeschooled, so it was easy for me to stay in the routine of studying on my own and taking exams. At the same time we noted that distance learning would be just as practical for non-homeschoolers, since they could spend more time developing self-driven work habits, as well as having the freedom to intern or work without project due dates or 9-5 class hours.

What I enjoyed most about distance learning was that I could study at my own pace and in my own way. For me that mostly meant going over sample questions and study guides online (generally with music playing in the background).

My other favorite method was taking textbooks out on our front patio and spend an afternoon reading and highlighting in the sunshine.

Again, there was room for flexibility - I could just as easily have gotten out audio cds on the subject from the library, or have joined a local or online study group. I could also have gone at a slower pace and finished in four years, or six, if I had wanted to work or travel in the meantime.

I did, by the way, spend a full month in France and, while studying the accounting notes I'd brought, worked on my French for another set of credits.

I have a good friend in the USA who is also doing distance learning, and he chose to continue studying alongside his job in tech support.

So that was my life for two years- studying and taking exams to suit my interests- and now that it's over I'm looking to see what the future holds for me.

Many thanks to everyone involved.

Regards, Oldest of Jon's Kids P.S.: My Bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies focused on Psychology and Languages and was granted by Thomas Edison State College, founded by the State of New Jersey to supply higher education through alternate delivery methods. http://www.tesc.edu.

Almost all of my credits were earned by CLEP, College Level Examination Program, in which I could learn subject matter, take the final exam for a course, and transfer the earned credits to my degree program at Thomas Edison.

http://www.collegeboard.com/highered/clep/index.html
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