Online College
Online College was once considered a derogatory term. There was a stigma attached to the idea of getting a degree sitting in your home in front of a computer versus the more traditional route of attending a brick and mortar college. A recent report from the Department of Education revealed that, “On average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction”. Clearly the world is turning around in favor of the online college and distance learning.
If you are considering an online college but have not made your final decision, take some time and think about the following points in favor of online college and distance learning.
Personal Drive.
If you are someone that didn’t exactly do great in a classroom or you think, “A traditional learning environment just isn’t for me” you are just the type of person that online colleges are hoping to help. Someone who can work well with given instruction and doesn’t require a great deal of hand holding to accomplish their work on a deadline. It’s all about pace with online schools. Learn what you want, at your own speed.
Distance Is No Object.
Unlike looking for a traditional school, when you are looking for an online school to attend you don’t have to worry about how far you will be from home or family. You can attend schools from different coasts, time zones or even countries. The ability to connect with people far away is one of the greatest tools of the Internet and is a unique aspect to online learning.
It’s Not Rocket Science.
Some students worry that because they are not “Internet Savvy” that they will be at a disadvantage when attending online school. But if you know how to use email, you are about halfway there. Online schools use bulletin board, live video streaming and even chat room technologies. Meaning quite simply, if you know how to use your email, and have ever visited a social networking site like YouTube, you will have no problem adjusting to school online.
Education Is Unlimited.
A quick search on the Internet for online education will bring up millions of listings. You can find programs for just about anything you can think of from short term Associate and Bachelor degrees to more long term Master and Doctoral degree programs. Here are just a select few programs I found in just a quick two-minute search.
Liberal Arts
Religion
Design
Business Management
Engineering
Psychology
Financial.
In these harsh economic times, many high school students are looking into the possibility of online college as a means to cut costs. Tuition is often much cheaper online, not to mention what you save in housing and travel expenses. Think about how much you would spend driving to class each day or how much time off you might need to take off from work just to attend.
Aid Available.
It is a common misconception that financial aid is harder to get for online schools. In fact, accredited online schools are open to the same federal loans and grants and tax credits. More and more employers are including online schools as part of employee tuition programs as well. The Pell Grant, The Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant and the Academic Competitiveness Grant are all available to online students enrolled full or part time.
Responsibilities.
Most people can’t put their lives “on hold” long enough to attend college. People with full time jobs may be seeking their first degree, license, diploma or qualification but need to maintain their current job. The average age of online college students is in the 30s, by that time most are living on their own without additional outside support. Parents seeking to return to college are able to attend class with their children in the same room.
The Pajama Effect.
Sure it sounds funny, but some students take online school just for the ability to roll out of bed and hop online to class still in their pajamas. Wireless laptops even allow for students to attend class on the go in book stores, restaurants or even on out of town vacations.
No Difference.
Some students worry that an online degree does not carry as much weight with future employers than a “real” degree. That fear could not be further from the truth. With online schools popping up more and more the percentage of new hires with online degrees does as well. In the end, it’s the overall education that matters, not how you got it. An online degree proves to an employer that you work well independently and in a modern fast paced world.
According to the US Department of Education, 56 percent of degree granting institutes offer some type of distance education and the number is on the rise. It’s easy to see that an online education is quickly becoming as common and traditional as everyday brick and mortar colleges.