Prior to enrolling at the University of Phoenix; I had a postive outlook on private for profit (non brick and mortar) schools. I recieved my Bachelors degree from Morrison University here in Reno, Nevada and had a pleasant experience. I learned a lot, got a good job, and am in position to begin to work on my CPA license with the Nevada State Board. I am also working on a second undergrad at UNR, with the goal of applying for Pharmacy school one day.
However, enrolling at UOP made me realize how much of an exception to the rule Morrison Univeristy is. First of all Morrison has been in business for more than 100 years and has built a good reputation locally. They are Nationally accredited. I mention this because that brings me to the first lie your UOP representive will throw your way: "We are regionally accredited, just like Harvard or Stanford, so our credits are better than... (fill in the blank)." They might be regionally accredited, but good luck finding any reputable brick and mortar school that will accept them. Morrison never claimed such things. They stuck to what they promised and never lied about what the credits will do. I got an accredited degree and it helped me get a good job. Period. Now I am in a position where I want to further my education. UOP almost suckered me into their pitiful program. Thank god I did some research and made a key decision.
My experience in my first "class" was enough to make me drop out out and stick with the traditional public Univeristy I am already enrolled in. UOP insists on having their students work in virtual "teams." Well, the first team project involved me having to take initiative (because no one else would) and compile everybody else's part. Not only did I compile, but I submitted the "team" paper to the writting center and through a plagarism check which then also made me the "editor" for everybody's part. Then, on the day the paper was due one of my other team members who did not contribute at all the entire project decided to call me at night and ask me to compile her part into the final paper. Which I did. Editing and Compiling until the last minute kept me up until midnight. Everyone got the perfect grade.
The second "team" project seemed like a better situation. Others took more of an initiative. I thought to myself, "good. It won't be me up until midnight this time." Wrong. Although initiative was shown, not much else was shown throughout the week as far as compiling. I began to compile what was available just in case this were to happen (I "foresaw" it). There was one pesky variable however, that day the paper was due... The UOP website was not working appropriately. I could not post anything for three hours. During this time, one of my teammates posted a thread entitled "Attn Bart" in the team forum. The thread was asking me about my part. I could not post to reply so I made a phone call to the team member to let her know everything was ready and it was merely a "technical difficulty" and also that I had a compilation should anyone need it for the end. Long story short - I turned my part in - I wasn't the last person to do so.- and all in all the paper was turned in on time before the deadline of midnight.
The next day the teacher posted a grade for ME with 50% marked off because of the thread someone posted asking me about my part. She said, "I needed to find another way to communicate if I was having technical difficulties." I explained to her that I DID by calling the person on the PHONE. But apparently, according to her, "Phone calls aren't documented in the Team Forum" so she wouldn't go off of that. How am I supposed to document something in the Team Forum, if I can't post anything? If their stupid website doesn't work, how is that MY fault? I also explained to her that I was not the LAST PERSON to turn my part in, By the way, and that in FACT the ENTIRE team PAPER was submitted in COMPLETION ON TIME. That was the only criteria mentioned in HER SYLLABUS and HER RUBRIC. So why do I get obscure scrutiny for things she's not even grading on according to THE RUBRIC SHE SET FORTH??!!
That incident madethe difference in my final grade from A to B-. When someone is going for a graduate degree with the hopes of applying for pharmacy school, GPA kind of matters and to know that I am being singled out and given diluted grades that are in no way my own merit; that makes me FURIOUS. One ironic fact about this whole miserable experience: There was a person in my group who used the word IRONACLE in a discussion response and he got a better grade than me because of this. A graduate student is actually saying that a situation is IRONICLE. THAT ISN'T A WORD!!! I am fair when it comes to grades, if a teacher is tough and I get a C then I am accepting of it. All I ask is that I earn that C on my own merit. UOP doesn't share that concept, they expect students to just sit back and let them rubber stamp whatever grade the teacher wants to make it look like they're "being tough." Probably for that wonderful "Accrediation" of credits that no one will take. I decided to handle my own student funds, this is the one KEY that helped this situation.
Now I can use those funds to pay my Traditional brick and mortar public Univeristy instead without interupting my education with the financial aid process (reapplying, amending school codes etc.) UOP almost got me. I don't know what I was thinking. I thought Private For Profit Schools were all good until now. Now I don't trust any of them. My words of advice for any students out there looking into them are: Stick to Traditional Universities! They are half the price and you actually get your money's worth. You actually LEARN and get graded ON WHAT YOU LEARN. Don't just pay for a degree. Set goals and stimulate your mind! Don't let these bottom feeders lure you with a "quick fix."
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