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Why should you earn your degree
online?
Online Education:
Earn Your Degree Online
The way we live, study
and work is more flexible than ever as technological advances such as
mobile phones and high-speed internet become common place.
While it’s doubtful
most people will actually ever teleconference into board meetings while
sipping margaritas on a beach, many of us hold onto that image as an
ideal. The concept that our lives and careers should be fluid and mobile
as our technology has already become ingrained.
Luckily many
institutions of learning think the same way. Most schools now offer at
least some classes online – both undergraduate and graduate. According
to the online education experts the Sloan Consortium, twenty percent,
nearly 3.5 million students, took one or more classes online in fall
2006.
“The growth in online
learning continues to far outpace that of the broader student
population,” said Dr. I. Elaine Allen Associate Professor of Statistics
& Entrepreneurship, Babson College in a statement from Sloan regarding
its annual survey of online education.
Online Learning: The
Benefits
Opportunities abound
with online education. You work according to your own schedule, from any
place with an internet connection, from any number of schools all over
the world and with fellow students who could be from anywhere.
This kind of
flexibility is a real asset. Perhaps the schools convenient to you just
don’t have the type of classes you are looking want. Or maybe you have
family obligations, travel a lot or simply work during the day and can’t
imagine a rush-hour commute to night school when already tired. Instead
of a day spent rushing from class rooms to meeting rooms, with online
education you can just sign in when you get home.
Online Learning: The
Basics
You need three simple
things to begin an online education class: a computer, an internet
connection, and a desire to get ahead.
Instructors generally
post all course material and lesson plans on the web. When students
complete an assignment they generally email them back, or in some cases
on message boards and designated discussion forums. Instructions should
be simple and clear, if further clarification is needed then generally
you can email and ask or go to the class’s bulletin board.
When researching
programs, make sure to check that the school and program are accredited,
meaning certified and quality assured by the Council of Higher Education
or another nationally recognized group.
Search for top online
schools.
Also, it’s a good idea
to check and see if you qualify for financial assistance or
scholarships. These grants can range from part or all of your tuition,
may or may not need to be repaid. The U.S. Department of Education has a
website with information in both English and Spanish, and a handy guide
to student aid. Information on free grants for Hispanic students is also
available from collegescholarship.org.
Source, the Sloan
Consortium:
http://www.sloan-c.org/resources/index.asp
College
Scholarships:
http://www.collegescholarships.org/grants/hispanic.htm
DoE
student aid guide:
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/index.jsp
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