Registering for classes is coming up and students need to decide what type of classes they are going to register for. Monmouth offers a variety of class forms: regular, hybrid, online, and three-hours.
The first type of class is a regular one-hour 20-minute class that meets twice a week. Meeting your professor twice a week tends to be more efficient for the student and the professor. The student-professor connection and relationship here at Monmouth are particularly important and tend to occur often since the class sizes are small. Twice a week meetings keep students active and engaged compared to different types of classes.
I believe a couple of cons of this type of class is not enough time in between classes to get assignments and studying done. An effective class schedule is Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday. This gives the student enough time in between classes to get assignments done.
The second type is a hybrid, classes that meet for an hour and 20 minutes once a week and the other “class period” is online. It allows students to stay engaged for one class session a week. The student may have time to get an extra shift of work where that other class time would have been. This also allows the student to do the second part of class anywhere at their own convenience.
On the other hand, a student may miss some important information that the professor could have said in-person. Limiting the student-professor meetings to only once a week may cause students to not fully understand the information being taught.
The third type of class is strictly online. This does not meet in class ever and all course materials and assignments are completed online. Some students prefer this because it allows them to have a more open schedule for their job and their own personal life.
These types of classes are offered more often in the summer sessions. Online classes in the summer are more beneficial because students can secure an internship or a full-time job and also take courses.
On the downside, one may not get the right amount of information just taking a course online. Sometimes it is more beneficial for the student to listen, see, and talk to a professor in-person compared to behind a screen.
The fourth type of class is the most controversial, the three-hour class period that meets once a week. Most once a week three-hour classes are held at night typically from 6:05-9:00 pm. This allows the students to meet just once a week and meet the professor for the same amount of face to face time as a regular session.
Some students like this because you have a whole week to do any homework compared to just one to three days. Other students dislike this simply because after that hour and 20 minutes goes by they can no longer concentrate on the material. All the students can think about is going home and how hungry they are.
For me, the best type of class would have to be hybrid classes. I am still able to directly connect with the professor and receive lectures in the classroom but also get to complete the online class assignments at a time that is convenient for my schedule.
PHOTO TAKEN by Hunter Goldberg
