High School Freshman Considering Coursera Classes: Pros & Cons

  • Thread starter Tyler133
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In summary: Amazon and read them before the class starts. If you're taking a class from a professor, ask the professor what material is covered in the class and consider buying the textbook. If you're taking a MOOC (massive open online course), you won't have anything to use as a textbook, but some universities offer refunds if you don't pass the course.
  • #1
Tyler133
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I am a Freshman in high school who has been maintaining a 4.0 GPA and I want to take some coursera courses to advance my knowledge. However, I know that these classes are at a college level so it may be difficult for me to get an A in the classes I take. I don't want to send a college application off and then they see that I had less than satisfactory grades on the coursera classes that I took. So the question is should I take these courses and risk not getting an A or should I not do these courses all together?
 
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  • #2
Do them. There are great courses offered by very good teachers. And it's free. Certification is based on pass/fail structure. If you get over x% (dependent on the course what x is), you get a certificate saying you completed the class. If you don't get the mark, well you don't get anything. Nowhere does it mention your actual grade. So I don't think you should worry too much

SolsticeFire
 
  • #3
I thought when you got the certification of completion it listed your total grade percent. Is that true?
 
  • #4
Tyler133 said:
I am a Freshman in high school who has been maintaining a 4.0 GPA and I want to take some coursera courses to advance my knowledge. However, I know that these classes are at a college level so it may be difficult for me to get an A in the classes I take. I don't want to send a college application off and then they see that I had less than satisfactory grades on the coursera classes that I took. So the question is should I take these courses and risk not getting an A or should I not do these courses all together?

Alot of college level courses could be taken by high school freshmen. I read over their programming course from UToronto and enjoyed it but didn't think it was particularly challenging, thatd' be a good one to get a feel for coursera.
 
  • #5
only some courses give out certificates of completion. I've taken many courses there for programming and math. They're great and free, i don't care much for the certificate. i think you are under the impression that these are credit courses which they are not. Universities will not look at these. They are more for personal knowledge/learning/enjoyment/skills development. the certificate doesn't mean much at all. At least that's how i see it from what i read on their website
 
  • #6
Tyler133 said:
I am a Freshman in high school who has been maintaining a 4.0 GPA and I want to take some coursera courses to advance my knowledge. However, I know that these classes are at a college level so it may be difficult for me to get an A in the classes I take. I don't want to send a college application off and then they see that I had less than satisfactory grades on the coursera classes that I took. So the question is should I take these courses and risk not getting an A or should I not do these courses all together?
Your coursera courses are not something you include in your college application. You do not even get any certification in many of them and you do not have to give any personal info to register.
 
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  • #7
So it seems that it would be a good idea for me to take some coursera classes but what do you think are the best classes on the site for me?
 
  • #8
Tyler133 said:
So it seems that it would be a good idea for me to take some coursera classes but what do you think are the best classes on the site for me?

Whatever you heart desires :)
 
  • #9
Coursera classes are great. Honestly, I think you should take any courses that are relative to the field of study in college. Coursera helped me work on my weakest areas of mathematics, which has helped me to maintain a 4.0 in college! I highly recommend Coursera and Kahn academy. The university of your choosing will never even know you took coursera classes so they can really help you out if you want to learn something, like programming or calculus. Most, but not all, of the classes I've taken provided the texts needed for the class. The ones that I had to buy were only 5 to 10 dollars, so it was worth it in my opinion.
 
  • #10
You're much better off learning from a textbook. Don't expect to get college credit; I would be astounded if college credit for courses completed on coursera.org were accepted at anywhere other than a community college, if that.

Assuming you like physics/math, just find some physics and math textbooks (there are likely to be plenty of threads on this forum that you can find that will suggest to you books for you level and interest) and work through those rather than embarking in largely passive learning which is prevalent in coursera and KhanAcademy. Sitting and watching lectures and presentations is not actually a process by which you will retain much information.
 
  • #11
I've never passivly learned on Coursera or Khan but I work through the examples the provide as they do them, then work through any and all problems they provide, then do a google search for any other work I can find on the subject. It has worked out well for me so far. A benefit to Coursera is also the forum where you can interact with others taking the same cours you are. It may not be a standard for all classes but for all I have taken there was a forum.
 
  • #12
Forensics said:
I've never passivly learned on Coursera or Khan but I work through the examples the provide as they do them, then work through any and all problems they provide, then do a google search for any other work I can find on the subject. It has worked out well for me so far. A benefit to Coursera is also the forum where you can interact with others taking the same cours you are. It may not be a standard for all classes but for all I have taken there was a forum.

You seem to be studying the right way then. But the danger with coursera and with khan is that people will watch the videos and think they know the material by just watching. I've seen a lot of people on this forum who learned something by only doing that. Of course, their understanding of the material is very superficial. So I guess that coursera is a very good tool to help you learn, but you shouldn't rely on passively watching videos, but you should actively work exercises.
 
  • #13
Tyler133 said:
So it seems that it would be a good idea for me to take some coursera classes but what do you think are the best classes on the site for me?
The Scientific computing and Data analysis courses from UW are a lot of fun.They are also potentially useful for pretty much anything you might do in college.They do require some advanced calculus knowledge though.
 
  • #14
micromass said:
You seem to be studying the right way then. But the danger with coursera and with khan is that people will watch the videos and think they know the material by just watching. I've seen a lot of people on this forum who learned something by only doing that. Of course, their understanding of the material is very superficial. So I guess that coursera is a very good tool to help you learn, but you shouldn't rely on passively watching videos, but you should actively work exercises.

Yea I cannot argue that point. If you are going to only passively learn the material then you might as well not even bother signing up for the course. With me I only learn by getting hands on experience instead of just watching someone do it for me.

I always thank Nikola Tesla for my study habits. The man was gifted with a very high level of intelligence and instead of just relying on that intelligence to just get by (which for him would have been straight a's anyway) he took it on himself to learn in excess. When he graduated college, if I remember right, he spoke nine languages. He also studied up to 20 hours a day some days. I try to get in all the studying I can and thankfully, so far, it has really paid off for me.

Anyway I digress.
 

What is Coursera and how does it work?

Coursera is an online learning platform that offers a wide range of courses from top universities and organizations around the world. It works by providing video lectures, interactive quizzes, and assignments that can be accessed by students at their own pace. Courses can be taken for free or for a fee if students want to earn a certificate or degree.

What are the benefits of taking Coursera classes as a high school freshman?

There are several benefits to taking Coursera classes as a high school freshman. Firstly, it allows students to explore different subjects and potential career paths before committing to a particular major in college. Additionally, it can help students develop time management and self-discipline skills, as they will need to balance their coursework with their high school studies. It also looks impressive on college applications and can give students a competitive edge in the admissions process.

What are the potential drawbacks of taking Coursera classes as a high school freshman?

One potential drawback of taking Coursera classes as a high school freshman is that the workload may be too much to handle alongside regular high school coursework. It is important for students to carefully consider their time management skills and make sure they can handle the additional workload. Another drawback is that the courses may not be as interactive as traditional classroom learning, which may not be ideal for students who thrive in a social learning environment.

Can high school freshmen receive college credit for Coursera courses?

Some Coursera courses offer the option to earn college credit through their partner universities. However, it is important for high school students to check with their prospective colleges to see if they accept credits earned through Coursera. Additionally, students may need to pay a fee for the credit and meet certain requirements, such as completing additional assignments or exams.

Are there any other alternatives to Coursera for high school freshmen looking to expand their learning?

Yes, there are other online learning platforms similar to Coursera such as edX, Udemy, and Khan Academy. These platforms offer a variety of courses and may have different pricing options. Additionally, students can also look into local community colleges or universities that offer dual enrollment programs, allowing high school students to take college courses for credit. It is important for students to research and compare different options to find the best fit for their learning goals and needs.

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