I did my degree via distance ed. My course did require me to attend on campus workshops a couple of times a year and I LOVED being on campus but loved the lfexible learning structure I had. Studying distance ed meant that I could fit study in around work and not the other way. It gave me so much flexibility in general. Another benefit I found is that, in my profession, people who did the qualification this way are held in higher regard than those who studied on campus as we are considered to be more motivated blah blah blah (don't think it is really an indicator but hey...). For me, the down side was how difficult it was for me to get in contact with lecturers (I lived in a different state to the Uni so couldn't just rock up and knock on an office door). I went to the same Uni as Lea but as an external I (and my friends) found it extremely hard to get hold of our lecturers when we needed assistance and that in most cases the online discussion boards were of little use towards the end of the degree. At the same time, the online disucssion pages were a massive support and fantastic network - especially around assignments and exams.

I truly believe that for a student to be successful with distance ed/flexible learning/courses by correspondence, they need to be self motivating, dedicated and above all FLEXIBLE. I wouldn't change my experience for anything and when I'm ready to do post graduate studies I have every intention of doing it via distance ed again.

HTH

MG