Education - pros and cons of online and face to face education

This is an interesting topic to me, one I have thought about many times. I got my first degree through traditional in class room learning. The degree that I am currently working on has been all online. So I have thought about the pros and cons of each many times.

Face to Face

Pro: You create more personable relationships with your peers and professors.

Pro: This could be a pro or con based on your attitude. But I found attending classes face to face made me study more and learn the material more. Most time in a classroom setting you can’t use notes or the book for tests. I’ll admit, I have taken some online classes, where I haven’t even read the book. I just use the book to take the test.

Con: Many times if you miss a class, you simply can’t log in online to get the lecture and notes.

Con: You’re limited to when you can take classes, which also may limit your choice of classes and or degree. You’re limited to the schools you attend.

Online

Pro: The biggest pro personally for me is being able to work on a degree yet still being able to work full time to support my family. Learning online means I do not have to actually attend class on campus. It allows for more flexibility.

Pro: With everything being online, you can attend class at midnight if you want! Basically it is anytime, anywhere! The flexibility of online classes really cannot be beat.

Con: It takes a lot of self-motivation to stay on track. Not having someone say you have to be in class on this day, you need to be driven to stay focused and meet deadlines.
Con: The biggest con for me is I really miss out on the peer and professor interaction. I have so many close friends that I met when I got my first degree. We still all talk and network about jobs and opportunities. It is a lot harder to reach out to someone online for help and advice about assignments and tests.