Writing with an Informative Aim

Ashley Mann
Assignment 4
“Writing with an Informative Aim” (Lesson 9)

There are many benefits to taking English Composition 1. For example, it has been many years since I have been in school and I am a bit rusty around the edges. This course helps me to improve my writing skills and structure sentences properly. It gets me back in the swing of rigorous writing, which is what will be demanded of me throughout my college courses. It provides me with all of the tools and skills necessary to be successful with writing a good paper and for this it is of great value to me. When I decided to go back to school to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting, I wasn’t sure what type of course to take. I did know, that I would be taking online courses as opposed to on campus courses because it is the most fitting method for my already hectic schedule. What I didn’t know was the methods of courses available and which of these would best suit my needs. I read information provided by my college that differentiated both methods and I asked for guidance from my academic advisor who suggested I try both to see which I preferred best. I now am taking one course of each and have drawn my own conclusion to the advantages and disadvantages of the guided study course. Guided study is less interactive and more self-learning which for me is an advantage because the less I have to interact throughout the week the better. Guided study requires a written assignment due each week while online requires a written assignment due every other week however online also requires you to participate in a discussion forum throughout the week and interact with other students. My day-to-day work is demanding and I find the online course more time consuming for this reason. During my research, I saw posts from other classmates that believe online study is a good way to increase your GPA because points are awarded as long as you participate in the forums. While this may be true, I find convenience in only having one assignment due on Sunday’s. This allows me to manage my time more effectively and without that, it is harder to maintain the course work and easier to fall behind. If you are disciplined to stay on pace with little to no proctor contact, guided study is great. If you need the additional interaction and structure offered by online courses this method would suit you best. I believe education is one of the best attributes you can give yourself so for me my dedication provides me the discipline I need to stay on track. While there are pro’s and con’s to essentially every decision the best way to learn which decision is best for you is by trial and error. I find more advantages in guided study the more I partake in the online course, but if I had not tried them both I would not be able to sufficiently weigh the differences and conclude this myself.