Disadvantages of an Online University

Taking classes from an online university can be great for people who don't have the time to go a physical school to attend class. However, there are some disadvantages to attending an online university that can greatly affect your learning ability.

Student-Teacher Interaction

When you are in a classroom and have a question or want to discuss something with a professor you are likely to have the ability to do that right away. In an online university you have to wait for a response through email which can take hours maybe even days.

Less Group Work

While some people may see no group work as a positive thing, when you take classes at an online university you miss on the chance of interacting with your peers in activities like group projects. This can affect your collaborating skills and show future employers that you don't know how to work with a group.

Schedule

If you are the kind of person that has trouble managing time then an online university may not be for you. In many online classes, there are readings given and information available but you have to be able to manage when things are due on your own time.

Self-Learning / Reading

If you are a visual or kinetic learner then it may be hard to learn from an online university because there are not a lot of hands on work available. Most learning is going to be from the reading material assigned to you.