I'm currently working on my degree via Athabasca. I love it, although the learning is not without it's problems. Just like any other school, I assume.
Comments in no particular order......
1. If you have poor time management (procrastinator), than you REALLY need to reconsider. Nobody (and I mean nobody) is going to push you along.....it's all on you.
2. The Prof/Tutor support is generally average-to-good, although the extremes are also represented. If you get a real dud (and it happens), there is nothing wrong with reporting (politely, with evidence) a crummy tutor to the school and asking for an alternative. Fellow students will appreciate it.
3. The courses and materials are generally very good. You will be provided everything you need to score a 4.0, with the possible exception of a good dictionary/thesaurus!
4. As mentioned, the topics covered in assignments and the topics covered on an exam don't always sync up really well. It's not very common but it does happen. It sucks (I've had it occur ONCE), but the school was very understanding and made a reasonable arrangement. No harm, no foul.
5. Courses are all-inclusive and reasonably priced. An Alberta resident will pay ~$650 per 3-credit course. This puts a bachelors degree (90cr) in the $19,500 range, and an honors degree (120cr) ~$26,000. As a reference, the 2010-2011 UofC Calendar shows a per/course cost of $667.97.....plus books/materials of course.
6. The school is widely accredited (all Commonwealth nations, much of Europe, the USA) and acceptance won't be an issue. This was a HUGE factor for me and I spent a couple of weeks sourcing accreditation info prior to enrolling.
7. Transferability of credits is strong, but not perfect. As with any school, not all of the coursework/credits may be transferable to other institutions, and it will vary school to school. A called a few schools in order to get a feel for this (again, prior to enrolling) and found that UofC seems least likely to accept, whereas Carleton and Waterloo both seemed more permissive.
8. Stigma......You get the occasional (academic) nitwit who looks down at your "Correspondence University". It tends to get lumped in with University of Phoenix, which is a for-profit and generally unaccredited/unrecognized school. I fully agree that McGill is a better school, but I'm very comfortable comparing my education against most other schools in Canada.
9. The Students Association kind of sucks. I've met some terrific people through AUSU, but there is a really low participation level online. Since it is a highly individualized education, I understand why there isn't a thriving online community. Then again, perhaps I just haven't found it!
10. Taking classes elsewhere is almost always possible. Since so many schools are affiliated with Athabasca, there's a very good chance that you can attend a brick and mortar institution for classes. This can be particularly useful if there's a course you'd feel better about taking within a group (discussion oriented or language classes, for example). A short discussion with an Athabasca Adviser is usually all it takes.
Overall - I would make the same decision to attend. I am highly organized, generally good with my time, and capable of motivating myself........I fit the profile. If your friend is the same, I would strongly suggest Athabasca - even as a starting point from which to transfer later on.
You are welcome to PM me with specific questions, although public posting is fine as well!
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