<p>Have any of you taken any online classes at FSU? Which classes, and what were your experiences like? Thanks!</p>
<p>I’m an incoming freshman so I don’t know much about the online classes but I have taken online classes on Florida Virtual School and if FSU’s online classes are anything like FLVS </p>
<p>DON’T DO IT!</p>
<p>It will be the most horrific thing you can do and the quickest way to drop your g.p.a this is from my experience but if you plan on having a very active social life and plan on joining clubs doing online classes won’t be the best action and the reason I say this is because if your not good with time management then having a class such as this won’t help you. </p>
<p>I’m the type of person who needs to be in a classroom to learn (i’ve been conditioned lol) because I feel like I need to be there on the other hand with online class it doesn’t actually feel like a class and there’s so much distractions whether it’s your roommate and especially the internet itself. </p>
<p>If your one of those people who know how to divide your time then go ahead I’m not saying online classes are bad but for most teens its not the best idea </p>
<p>personally I would see how the first semester goes with just my classes and the ability I have with time management it will be then when I decide to take a online class or not.</p>
<p>Awesome, this is a topic I can help out people with for once.</p>
<p>I’ve taken quite a few FSU courses online. Here’s a list:</p>
<p>CGS2060 Computer Fluency
CLA3501 Gender & Society in Ancient Greece
HUM2210 Humanities: Prehistory to Late Antiquity
GEA1000 World Geography
HUM2235 Humanities: Renaissance & Enlightenment</p>
<p>I am also going to take 3 online classes this summer:
HUM2250 Humanities: Modern
HUM3321 Multicultural Film
GEO1400 Human Geography</p>
<p>If it helps, I feel like I succeed in online classes more than a regular classroom, as the notes in an online class are often much easier to study (sometimes in a classroom, you can take notes the entire class and not get a single item that’s helpful for the tests). The lowest grade I’ve gotten in any of these classes is an A-, and that was in CLA3501 last summer. The rest have all been As.</p>
<p>Humanities classes are some of the easiest ones to get As in online. The typical class grade is based off weekly ~500 word essays on topics you’re assigned from the chapter in the book you are covering, and are really easy to complete. </p>
<p>The one class that was definitely different online was CGS2060, because it requires you to do things like writing a research paper in Microsoft Word, creating a database file in MS Access, and similar things. The two tests were mostly common sense, although they did at least attempt to pose a challenge on some things (if you don’t know a lot about computers and don’t read the book, the tests can be a bit of a challenge to do well on). If you do all of the work though and study for the tests, which have to be taken at the FSU testing center, the class is easy to get an A in. When I took it, the class got a curve to where I think an 86 or so became an A-, with a 90 being an A (down from a 93 or 94, can’t really remember exactly). </p>
<p>So far, it’s been my experience that the online classes are often easier than the classroom ones to do well in. A lot of them have an additional fee (Humanities classes don’t normally have this fee though in my experience), which was $135 in '09-10, but raised to $210 this year ('10-11). Who knows what it is going to be next year. </p>
<p>It’ll boil down to whether you can manage your time well and complete things on your own, with only minimal guidance and such from your professors/TAs in the course. If you can’t remember for example to submit your weekly essays and assignments online by a certain time each week, it’s really going to be challenging. Aside from that, most online courses aren’t bad. A few have their quirks, of course, but for the most part they seemed to be designed with the idea that you’re taking the class because you were otherwise unable to fit the regular class in your schedule, so they are designed to challenge you, but within a reasonable amount of time each week, which I’ve noticed is something around 3-4 hours (~1 hour/week per credit hour in the course). </p>
<p>I hope this helps! If you have any more questions I’ll try to help out if I can. :)</p>
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<p>It’s not…</p>
<p>I also want to take courses online this summer. I’ve already signed up for three courses to take on campus but I want to take two more online since I won’t be doing anything else. Are there any courses that you can recommend that don’t involve a lot of writing. Classes start on Monday for me so is there a deadline as to when I can apply? How exactly do I sign up on blackboard anyway? Also, do I need to get an ok from my advisor to do so?</p>
<p>Thanks so much Pasbal! Your reply was very helpful and informative :)</p>
<p>For most of FSU’s online courses, can all the work including taking tests be done at home on the computer? Is it necessary to go to a proctored test center or required to have to return or showup at FSU campus for anything? I thought I remembered reading or hearing somewhere that you can’t truly do everything online. Anyone here please explain mechanics? If you have to go to a test center, can the test center be off campus at some other approved location?</p>
<p>Some online classes require proctored tests, some do not. It depends on the class. FSU does have a proctored test center, but you don’t have to go there. There are many approved proctored test sites throughout the state and country.</p>
<p>Tallalassie:
Some of the classes require you to take the tests at the FSU Center for Academic Testing or whatever the official name is. Basically, it’s the computer lab in University Center C (I believe), where you sign in and take your exam. </p>
<p>So far, the only classes I have signed up for that do that were OCE1001 and CGS2060. OCE1001 wasn’t an online class, the class apparently was just too large for the tests to be taken at once (I personally think that the professors didn’t want to grade the exams for 225 people, and instead just gave them at the CAT because it was easier). CGS2060 was an online class, and the tests were taken at a time you selected during a 2 week period. So far though it’s generally been my experience that if under the Blackboard course lookup, if it’s listed under “Online Course, open to all students” or something similar, then the class will be online and you won’t have to go to the testing center. Now, that isn’t 100% effective, but it’s been at least 5 out of 6 for me, if not 6 for 6. </p>
<p>If it helps, the instructor of the class will most likely send out a message the first day or two of classes (while the Drop/Add period is still good) with the syllabus and you will be able to tell whether or not you have to be on campus. </p>
<p>Georgie841:
As for non-writing online courses, that would depend on what you consider not a lot of writing. I don’t consider the work I did in my Humanities classes so far that were online to be a lot (including the one I took last summer in Summer B, a 6 week term), but if you are already loaded with classes then I could see how it could be difficult.
Off the top of my head, two classes I can think of that I am pretty sure are online (albeit likely with the additional $210 fee) that likely won’t have a lot of writing would be GLY1000 Dynamic Earth and OCE1001 Intro to Oceanography. I didn’t do very much writing in OCE1001 when I took it my first semester except for notes in class but I remember the exams being pretty easy. I haven’t taken GLY1000 (I have taken GLY2010 and GLY2100 though, and 2100 is similar to 1000), but there’s more just memorization of terms/names than a lot of writing. The exams might be essays though, since that’s been my experience in geology (GLY) classes. </p>
<p>If you are taking 3 classes already, I would probably suggest HUM2210 if it’s still open. It’s a basic Humanities class, and although I took it last summer when I was only taking 6 credits, it really wasn’t much writing. There are the weekly essays (500 words) like in every other Humanities class I’ve taken and a final essay the last week (1000-1500 words), but the class is really easy otherwise. It’ll take maybe 3 hours a week if you can manage your time well to complete everything.
I will say that CLA3501 Gender & Society in Ancient Greece definitely has a lot of writing though. There were weekly essays, weekly quizzes, and a final essay (1500-2000 words) and you had to have the rough draft of your essay written and submitted by like the 4th week of classes (of 6). I don’t recommend this one if you don’t want to write. I thoroughly enjoyed the class though, since I love Mythology. </p>
<p>As for signing up, this should work:
Login to Blackboard
Go to Secure Apps
Go to Course Search and search for courses (for online courses, there is an option on the bottom titled “other criteria” or similar. Click on “Online Courses: Open to all students” and it will show only online classes).
Once you get the course reference number, go back to Secure Apps, click on Register for Classes (right side), click on Summer 2011 (or Fall 2011, if you can/want to register for then), and then type in the reference number and the little 5 digit code or whatever, and you SHOULD be registered :).
As for needing your advisor’s permission, nope. Honestly, I found that my advisor was almost useless most of the time. The only time I have found my advisor useful was when I needed to register for Transient Student classes this summer, and when I changed my major into the new Environmental Science & Policy program, since the advisor for that program was my professor at the time. You’re supposed to talk to your advisor every semester, but as probably 90% of students will tell you, they don’t and typically get by just fine.
Unfortunately, by now, most of the seats in the “good” online classes will be taken. If you look hard enough though I am sure you will find a hidden gem.</p>
<p>torioreo:
You’re very welcome. I learned last summer that online courses were a great way to “fluff” your schedule with credit hours but not need to go to a classroom. Since I feel I do better when I can take tests/turn in essays relatively on my own schedule, I have found the online courses especially in Humanities to be enjoyable. Plus, when it’s nearly impossible to afford FSU for the summer (housing, food, tuition, etc) but you still want/need to take classes and get financial aid, online courses can be awesome life savers- especially in Humanities since they rarely charge the additional fee, which can add up quickly at $210 a pop.</p>
<p>I hope that’s helped answer some questions. If you have any more questions (or I missed them), please feel free to ask and I will try to help. If I don’t know, I’ll be glad to help find the answer :).</p>
<p>@Pasbal Thank you soo much this was very helpful!! Now that I’ve registered for my online classes when do I start and where do I go to see assignments and course work? Is it the same as blackboard?</p>
<p>Yep, it’s the same as Blackboard. Just login and click on either the Home tab or the Courses tab and it should display the internet courses there along with the regular courses.</p>
<p>For most of the classes, the information isn’t up yet, as the professors haven’t uploaded the syllabus and other documents. The Blackboard maintenance the last few days has appeared to greatly impact the professors getting courses up and running. They’re going to have to be up by Monday though or else the courses will be starting behind by a few days. </p>
<p>Just remember that these aren’t work-at-your-own-pace types of classes. Most will have assignments due every week, and sometimes you won’t get the assignments for the next week until the week begins. The professors are generally good about that stuff, especially if it’s a 6 week course. They’re also pretty cool in the 6 week courses about textbooks, since they know it can take 2 weeks or so to get your books sometimes, they’ll typically either upload the notes and readings or something similar for the first week or two. </p>
<p>If you don’t mind me asking, what course(s) did you sign up for online?</p>
<p>Pasbal, let me know how Multicultural Film goes down! I’m interested in taking that!</p>
<p>@Pasbal I signed up for HFT2062 and HME4221 since I wanted easy courses to boost up my GPA</p>
<p>Thank you for the information Pasbal! It will definitely be useful for me at some point in the next two years, if not this summer.</p>
<p>torioreo:
Not a problem! I have been interested in this class since I started at FSU, and it finally fit in my schedule well (I needed a Summer C class), so I decided that now was a good time. I’m really looking forward to it!</p>
<p>Georgie841:
Both of those classes sound really interesting, especially the International Wine and Culture class. Since both are hospitality related, I am interested: are you majoring in something related to hospitality? </p>
<p>Matt125:
Glad to help! I’m finishing up what will be my 6th semester at FSU, and I’ve taken online classes in 4 of those 6 (only my first and my most recent semesters were without an online course), so I hope that my experience and knowledge can help someone else by now, or else I’m a terrible student. </p>
<p>I do want to update and say that I’m no longer taking HUM2250 this summer; I’ve swapped that class for ANT3213, Peoples of the World. It sounded more interesting than a Humanities class. </p>
<p>Again, any questions or comments please let me know. I’m happy to help give experiences or information, or help find information if I don’t know the answer :)</p>
<p>Georgie841, I just wanted to thank you for mentioning HFT2062. The Anthropology class I signed up for above required you to be on campus, and since I am taking BSC2010 at a local community college this summer to fulfill a requirement it would have been difficult at best to take that course. I looked into the two classes you mentioned, and HFT2062 definitely piqued my interest, so I decided to take it as an elective. So again, thank you :)</p>
<p>I need to find an online class to boost my gpa, but I will not be able to take any exams or anything on the FSU campus, other than possibly the final exam. Does anyone know of any classes available that I can do completely online? Thank you very much!</p>
<p>FSU will sign an approval form for you to take courses thru UF Correspondence.
[url=<a href=“http://www.correspondencestudy.ufl.edu%5DUF”>http://www.correspondencestudy.ufl.edu]UF</a> Flexible Learning / Correspondence Study<a href=“I%20think%20this%20is%20correct,%20but%20if%20not%20just%20google%20it”>/url</a>. They have many online courses and as long as you complete the course by mid Aug., they will transfer to your GPA before fall classes start. Alot are totally online, some are online but you would need to go to an approved place for proctured exams. The website is very explanatory and there is a good variety of courses offered. Worth a look.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, at this stage of the summer session, you would have to wait until Summer C started to register for any courses, which severely limits your choices.</p>
<p>The only courses I see in the Course Lookup for Summer C are:
RTV3001- Media Techniques, REF #04843 (currently full)
RTV3001- Media Techniques, REF #04844 (Leon, Gadsden, Wakulla County residents only)
HME4221- Family Resource Management, REF #06896
SYP3710- Aging & Life Course, REF #05218 (currently full)
HUM3321- Multicultural Film, REF #04809, #07028 (however, film screenings are on Monday and Wednesday. I do know in the Fall/Spring semesters these are listed as “optional” but do not know about the summer session. I would assume that at worst you could find the films online)</p>
<p>These appear to be the majority of the online courses offered for Summer C, so obviously pickings are slim. </p>
<p>You can look and see if there are any other courses available by going into Blackboard, and under the Secure Apps tab looking under the Course Search link and see if there is anything else available.</p>
<p>I know that I am in a bit of a dilemma, I NEED to boost my gpa in order to maintain my scholarship, but at the same time I am supposed to be visiting relatives that I haven’t seen in 6 years in a different country. So I can take a final at the university, but everything else really needs to be online. How can I tell these classes apart from others when searching for courses?</p>