[ValarMorghulis]

Originally Posted by funkykar

Yes, fees anyway they pay or already paid. Issues with fees to be dealt seperately. What i am saying is, if it boils down to online classes only, it doesnt matter where they connect from. ..

It is not the same.. the analogy I could think of is, say watching Avengers Infinity War in an IMAX theater.
You pay the premium for the bigger screen, a theatrical atmosphere, amazing sound and an immersive experience. And then you are asked to return home (not to mention the pitfalls of going back home) and watch it in your TV. The movie is the same, the actors and the background score etc. everything the same, but it is still not quite the experience you paid for or wanted.

[srini1785]

^^

Just a noob question: If the course content contains some practicals , how do you manage it from home?.

[funkykar]

Originally Posted by ValarMorghulis

It is not the same.. the analogy I could think of is, say watching Avengers Infinity War in an IMAX theater.
You pay the premium for the bigger screen, a theatrical atmosphere, amazing sound and an immersive experience. And then you are asked to return home (not to mention the pitfalls of going back home) and watch it in your TV. The movie is the same, the actors and the background score etc. everything the same, but it is still not quite the experience you paid for or wanted.

Payment is one issue, agreed, more or less the same even in India.

IMAX should offer to refund as they cant screen or provide alternative like online streaming or allow patrons to come back once the pandemic is over or when regulations allow it to screen. If choice is given to people or IMAX chooses to give option to stream online, most would choose it.

My point is if the decision is made that the movie will not be screened in IMAX and you have to watch it online, it doesn't matter if you watch the movie online in a car parked in IMAX premise or from home . If ticket price feels more, take up that part with them, ask for part refund or full refund.

Please note, am not talking about the contention whether online is a substitute or not. All I have been repeatedly saying is if online is the only way by the university for a known and good amount of time, students can choose where they want to do it from. As simple as that.

[mohansrides]

Originally Posted by funkykar

Yes, fees anyway they pay or already paid. Issues with fees to be dealt seperately. What i am saying is, if it boils down to online classes only, it doesnt matter where they connect from. I am also equating with how things are here. Be it WFH for IT jobs or school for children, they can do it from anywhere, they need not be in town where office or school is. Not heard anyone talk here about asking schools to refund as kids are not visiting school. We anyway have to pay.

You are talking as if the fees and location are two separate issues. They are not. As a student, I paid the fees for a chance to study while LIVING in the US. That is the main premise of an education abroad.

That the university made the classes online (due to current circumstances) is neither my problem, nor my responsibility. Whether the classes are online or not, I have to be allowed to LIVE IN THE US as long as I am a student at the university. That was the whole point of me choosing to study there.

Originally Posted by funkykar

...My point is if the decision is made that the movie will not be screened in IMAX and you have to watch it online, it doesn't matter if you watch the movie online in a car parked in IMAX premise or from home .

The classes may be online; but there are plenty of other experiences that are unique to studying abroad. Most cities where the universities are located may not be in lockdown. So, while my classes are online, one is free to see the sights and experience life in the US in every other way. Not to mention the chance to physically meet with people in the US (classmates or otherwise) and network and get cultural perspectives. So, your IMAX reasoning that one can even watch the movie in a parking lot could not be more misplaced in this context.

Originally Posted by srini1785

^^

Just a noob question: If the course content contains some practicals , how do you manage it from home?.

You can’t. You are royally rogered. Not just in the situation that you described, there are N other in-person situations in which true learning happens. Online education can never be an equivalent to being physically present in a classroom with peers and one or more professors. Online education can only serve as a supplement to real education that one must get in person.

[bluevolt]

Looks like the decision has been recalled.

[anjan_c2007]

The decision of the US government asking students who have no classes (mainly online) to return to their home countries was a shocker. Thousands of affected students must have spent sleepless nights. The universities and colleges criticised this hare brained decision. Some have already gone to court to get the decision quashed.

Its good that the US government retracted and withdrew the decision restoring status quo ante.

The point is why at all take such quixotic decisions to rattle youngsters, who are alone and in most cases lonely, away from their parents and guardians?

We have Quixote's everywhere who disturb peace of mind of stakeholders by such damaging decisions.

[navin]

From what I know, most US universities will be online for Fall 2020 and most likely for Spring 2021 semesters.

https://www.profgalloway.com/uss-university/

According to Prof. Scott Galloway many will perish or struggle to survive. Those that struggle to survive will do so by either merging with other colleges or reducing their offering to just a few disciplines.

I would avoid these colleges and stick to those that will Thrive or at least Survive the nest 10 years. The last column (column AE) in this spreadsheet below lists those that will Thrive, Survive, Struggle or Perish.

If some smart BHPian is able to save this to a excel file and sort it, I would be grateful.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets..._BIZE4M1QfT31w

Meanwhile there is a real fear of University Campuses being the next hot beds for the Covid-19 virus.

https://time.com/5867395/will-univer...t_rid=33271330

[sgiitk]

I hear some of the orders have been rescinded. I really am not current. So am no really in a position to come out with a more definitive statement.

The 'Ivy League' has gone to court.

Also, what happens to the research students? Their formal contact hours are 'nil', specially after their comprehensive. If a student meets with his/her adviser there is no formal contact hour.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

I know a few people who were personally invited by professors and fully funded to do their MS.

This happened/happens in very exceptional cases. It's not a norm.

MS today is a cash-cow for universities.

Looking at the current fee structure, this is what I thought. The University I studied charged 4000 USD in Fall 2000 for a 9-credit regular semester, the same is 14000 odd USD for Spring 2020. And this school isn't even big on rankings and the state itself is quite poor at employment.

At my time, you could still return home and repay loans, just that it would take extra time. This almost looks impossible looking at the current tuition fee.

Originally Posted by maddy42

The early 2000s was also a good time to be in the states. Now its going to be harder.

The Y2K bubble just burst and WTC fell and that's it. It was so bad in India that few waited till 2004 to get their first job. It was several notches worse in US at that time. The H1B quota then was 195000 (increased due to Y2K) and employers then were firing rather than hiring.

Originally Posted by srini1785

Just a noob question: If the course content contains some practicals , how do you manage it from home?.

No such thing as practicals. Assignments can still happen. Assessments are impractical.

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Also, what happens to the research students? Their formal contact hours are 'nil', specially after their comprehensive. If a student meets with his/her adviser there is no formal contact hour.

At least a contact can be done online. How would one work out of a lab?

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by navin

If some smart BHPian is able to save this to a excel file and sort it, I would be grateful.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets..._BIZE4M1QfT31w

Here ya go, this should do the trick.

[navin]

Originally Posted by v1p3r

Here ya go, this should do the trick.

Awesome! I don't know how you techies do this, but I am very grateful.

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by navin

Awesome! I don't know how you techies do this, but I am very grateful.

Haha, I'm no techie, I'm a nuts-and-bolts engineer. If you live in manufacturing, Excel sort of becomes your wingman. Also goes to show you how sad life is, if a spreadsheet is Goose to your Maverick. Finance folks can actually make Excel behave much like Knopfler can with a Fender.