Blackboard

(www.my.usf.edu) Blackboard is such a great tool for a college education; I do not know how my parents’ generation of college students survived without it! Blackboard allows you to keep up-to-date on your grades without pestering the professor for a mark you may not have. You can also access your class syllabus from anywhere. This proves to be especially helpful. I was once out of town without my school supplies and forgot that I had something to submit online. I simply logged onto Blackboard, read my syllabus, and was able to complete my assignment on time. Blackboard also allows USF students to take classes online, which is a very convenient tool. It has been my experience that an online course forces the student to read the material because there are no lectures to attend. Thus, it is guaranteed that the student will learn something, instead of memorizing a fact to spit out onto a test. I am taking two online classes this summer so I may work more. Without Blackboard, I would have to spend several hours every week in a classroom, taking away from time I could spend earning money at my job. How my parents completed their Masters degrees without the luxury of online classes and a database like Blackboard, I will never understand.