Speaks Out

More and more students are getting their educations via
the Internet. Do you think online colleges are a good
idea?

NAME: Sud Doss

YEAR: Fourth-year

MAJOR: Microbiology and molecular genetics

"You can get certain things out of an online class or tutorial,
but there’s nothing like one-on-one contact with a professor."

NAME: Brent Henrikson

YEAR: First-year

MAJOR: Electrical engineering

"I think that as long as they’re credible that they’re fine. It
doesn’t matter where you take it as long as you learn the
material."

NAME: Rachel Metson

YEAR: Fourth-year

MAJOR: Political science

"I believe that online colleges have advantages and
disadvantages. Advantages being that for people who can’t get the
time during the day to go to classes and all the time commitment of
school, it’s beneficial. But the disadvantage is that you don’t get
the full college experience. You don’t have the socializing, you
don’t have the classes, and interaction with the professors and
students."

NAME: Joel Rabin

YEAR: Graduate student

MAJOR: Education

"I guess that it’s good for online colleges to be around as
another option for higher education, but it’s not something I would
want for myself, my friends or my children. I think that part of
the college experience is the college atmosphere – living in the
residence halls, participating in college life. If you just want to
learn, get a book."

NAME: Vivian Tang

YEAR: Second-year

MAJOR: Psychobiology

"I think online colleges would take away from the college
experience of clubs and activities, and meeting people."

NAME: Leslie Velka

YEAR: Second-year

MAJOR: Psychobiology

"I think online colleges are bad because they don’t give
students the opportunity to meet the professors, meet their peers,
or get involved and have interaction between the student and the
professor… Online classrooms will just increase insensitivity and
decrease the humanity of teaching."

Compiled by Jonah Ramon, Daily Bruin Contributor. Photos by
Mindy Ross and Emily Wang, Daily Bruin Contributors.