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Suffolk University
is one of the major
universities in Boston,
featuring its
internationally respected
Law School, School of Management,
and College of Arts and Sciences
Suffolk University is
fully accredited
by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
All Distance Calculus Courses
are offered through the
Mathematics &
Computer Science Department
at Suffolk University.
Visit Our
Distance
Calculus
Sister Program
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Is Distance Computer Science For You?
Distance Computer Science is not for everyone.
There are some types of students that Distance Computer Science is very well-suited for. But
for other types of students, it is not.
Our goal is make sure you are happy and successful if you decide to take a Distance Computer Science
course. Below is a description of various types of student attributes, and our experiences
with these types of attributes.
Attributes of a Successful Distance Computer Science Student
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25 Years of Age and Up
Students who are 25 and over, and thus most likely working full-time, seem to
do well with the "independent study nature" of the Distance Computer Science courses.
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Working Adults
Students who are working, and possibly raising children, seem to do well
in Distance Computer Science, understanding from their life experiences the need for
self-discipline and communication in their Distance Computer Science studies.
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Self-Disciplined
Students who have a fair amount of self-discipline, either through athletics or
academics, tend to do well in Distance Computer Science, understanding the need for regular
course work and progress through the course materials.
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Military Personnel
Discipline is a powerful academic attribute, and students who are in the military
have this training by necessity.
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High School Student
Students in high school who wish to achieve completion of a Computer Science course while in high school
tend to be very motivated and disciplined students.
Attributes of a Struggling Distance Computer Science Student
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Under 20 Years Old, Not In High School
This age group tends to struggle with Distance Computer Science courses.
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Regular University Students Taking a Full Load of Courses
Freshmen and Sophomore students who take 4 or 5 other courses, and hope to
fit in a Distance Computer Science course - tend to struggle.
When taking so many courses, and
struggling with time management, usually one course suffers, and it is
usually Distance Computer Science.
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Computer-Phobic
Depending upon the attitude of the novice computer user, Distance Computer Science can
feel like a struggle against the computer.
While we encourage these students to challenge their phobias so that they overcome
them and join the technology revolution as happy participants, we do find that more
often than not, students in this category tend to struggle in Distance Computer Science.
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Poor Communicators
While all of us can certainly improve our communication skills, there are some students
whose communication skills are below average. This is different than skills in English,
if English is your second language. The term "good communication skills" refers to the ability to
tell the instructional staff "where you are" in the course, what you are struggling with, and
being able to say, "I don't understand this question, but here is what I think I understand
about this topic:....".
Distance Computer Science requires serious communication between the instructors and the students.
Those students who are not good at communication like this, or don't want to become good at it,
tend to struggle in Distance Computer Science.
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