Thursday, September 11, 2008

Online Degrees - Education at Your Own Pace

How do you get ahead in a competitive world? In today's economy the high paying jobs that were once plentiful are getting much harder to find. The best way to increase your chances of landing one of these prized jobs is to set yourself apart from the crowd. The very best way to do that is by exploring your opportunities to get an online degree.

Even 30 years ago the idea of receiving a higher education from the comfort of your own home was unimaginable. Anyone wanted to advance their education and career had to make the time somehow to hold down a job to pay the bills, run the kids to soccer practice and attend classes at their local university.

Someone who has just left high school and has a minimal amount of obligations is situated perfectly to attend a traditional campus setting and earn their degree. Those that may be a bit older and have a full life with spouses and children, jobs and mortgages, were once at a disadvantage.

Thankfully, those days are long gone. Anyone with access to a computer and who has the proper drive and motivation can enroll in one of the growing numbers of online universities. There are programs for nearly any degree or interest. Associate and Bachelor programs are plentiful and there are even a select few online institutions that offer Graduate Degrees. In the early days of online education many of the programs were not accredited making the degree far less valuable. Now, most of the online universities are accredited and even quite a few of the larger traditional campuses offer online courses.

For the potential online degree seeking student there have never been more choices in terms of field of study. Virtually any degree that can be obtained through traditional methods can now be earned at least partially online, if not entirely. Some programs may require travel to the actual campus a few times over the course of study, but many do not have this requirement.

A great way to get started in earning your online degree is to research online universities and discover the degree programs that are available. Pick a half dozen or so online universities that seem to fit what you are looking for. Spend time looking at every page on their web site. Look at entrance requirements and workload, available financing, and any testimonials that may be contained on the site. Once you have narrowed your selections to the top two or three, call them and discuss any questions you may have, as well as any concerns. Making the decision to go back to school can be uncomfortable for some adult learners and the school you select should be empathetic to any concerns you have.

As you are researching schools, it's important to discover what kind of delivery methods are in use. Some methods of delivery can require quite a bit of knowledge and comfort with computers and sometimes with specific software programs. Be sure to select a program that is in line with your comfort level for using a computer.

An investment in your education is always a wise investment. Yes, always. The time and the sacrifices you make to obtain your online degree will come back to you in many ways. Discover a good online degree program and you may discover things about yourself that you never thought were possible.

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