Online education, also known as distance learning, has grown steadily over the last few decades. In the last several years, that growth has been exponential due to strong demand and technology advancements. More than likely you've seen a television advertisement, a website banner or some other form of media touting its advantages. Certainly there are pros and cons to going back to school online, and each should be considered to determine whether it's the right choice for you.
Here are some helpful suggestions for people who are interested in going back to school online: As a first step, follow your heart and think carefully about what you really want. There are countless schools and programs and you need to examine your own motivations. For example, what is it that you hope to accomplish? Attaining an undergraduate degree or graduate degree or certificate has the potential to i) improve your career path for promotion, ii) provide you with new skills and expertise, enabling you to keep your job at a time when layoffs are commonplace, or iii) provide you with a completely different skill set and knowledge base that may qualify you for a position in a new career field.
As a second step, make sure you properly understand the level of commitment it will take to complete an online degree. The primary commitments are the time and financial resources it will require. Most degree programs require a meaningful time and work commitment, albeit at on a much more flexible schedule than is required by traditional classroom based programs. In addition, tuition is rarely inexpensive. Moderating this fact is that there are numerous grants, scholarships and financial aid packages available to lessen the burden.
As a third and important, final step, do proper research on the schools themselves and the individual degree programs of interest at those respective schools. For example, your school should have a regional accreditation, and have a broad selection of degree levels, subjects and specialties to choose from. Because there are literally hundreds and hundreds of schools, each with its own set of characteristics, you will need a comparison tool to efficiently research and select the school and program best fit for you.
Online education is not perfect for everyone. However, there are a number of online colleges that provide an excellent education to their adult learners, who go on to achieve tremendous success in their careers. Research has shown that the higher your degree the higher your earnings. Online degrees offer you that opportunity, but since not all schools are created equal, make sure you do your research and follow my three simple steps to distance learning success.
Footnote:
Grants, scholarships and financial aid packages: http://www.onlinedegreenavigator.org/component/option,com_hello1/?section=Any&Programs=Any&DegreeLevel=Any
Comparison Tool: http://www.onlinedegreenavigator.org/Articles-and-Resources/Grants.html
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