Five Things to Consider When Choosing an Online College

Have you taken an online course? If the answer is no, chances are you will within one year. In fact, by early this year one in 10 college students is expected to enroll in an online degree program according to Eduventures, a research and consulting firm for the education industry. The Internet is revolutionizing the education world, making a high-quality education more accessible than ever.

By going to school online, students can get their degree without having to drive to class or follow a strict schedule. An online education allows them to study anywhere, anytime and at their own pace. Once they receive their degree, it usually results in financial rewards. According to economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, for each additional year of school completed, an individual’s earnings increase, on average, about 11 percent.

With online education being more a question of “when” versus “if” for prospective students, here are the top five considerations before selecting an online college:

1. Is the Online College Accredited?

The most important aspect any student should look into is accreditation. If a student receives an online degree from a non-accredited institution they may find that their degree is not recognized by some employers or that a course they took may not transfer to other institutions. Accreditation is a validation process, but unlike the practices of most other countries, the United States government does not ensure all online colleges are accredited.

2. What is the Credit Transfer Policy?

Every online college and university has a different credit transfer policy. It is important for students to make sure they understand the credit transfer policy before beginning an online program. Check with the institution to clarify any questions about transfer requirements, so no surprises arise.

3. What are the Financial Aid Options?

When researching an online college it is important to look into the institution’s financial aid options. According to a 2003-04 report by the National Center for Education Statistics, 63 percent of all undergraduates receive some type of financial aid. Financial aid options include scholarships, work-study programs, grants, loans and loan-forgiveness programs.

4. Is Your Learning Style Suited for an Online Education?

Although an online education is the ideal way to learn for millions of people, it doesn’t fit everyone’s learning style. Before starting an online degree program it is important to make sure online learning is conducive to your lifestyle.

5. Do you have Support from your Family and Employer?

In order for students to do their best academically, they need to have the backing of those closest to them. Make sure to talk about the impact of going to school and how things might be different around the house. In addition, it’s important for students to make sure they have buy-in from their employer and that their manager will support them if they spend their lunch hour catching up on a paper or answering a discussion question for their class.

Do I Need A College Degree?

When you are finishing up with high school, it is easy to develop a mindset of wanting to be done with school all together. Given the choice, many would prefer to simply move on. The fact is that if you want make significant progress in life, you had better earn a college degree. If your parents are able and willing to pay your expenses, there is no good reason for avoiding college. Statistics show that college graduates earn about twice as much money as high school graduates.

A few years ago, a person was able to work his way into most desirable positions without a college degree. Now, just to slip into most middle-class jobs, you need a degree. This is partially because so many people have degrees that every company can simply screen out those without one. So, why would they hire you if you don't have one? Companies seldom inquire from where you obtained your degree, just as long as you have one from an accredited university.

For students whose parents aren't able to pay their college tuition, don't worry. There are many alternatives to paying for school. These include scholarships and financial aid from the school itself and the government, as well as means of working your way through school. If you do the hard work and earn your sheepskin, it will be well worth the money in the end.

Many people who don't pursue a degree simply end up coming back later to obtain one. At some point, they realize their life progress is stifled and return to do what they could have done years earlier, but then often taking night or online classes while supporting a family. It's a more stressful process later.

The demand for people with a higher education is growing, not diminishing. It is so relatively easy to graduate from high school or earn a GED that high school graduates are now typically at the lowest end of the employment scale. Any type of vocational or two-year program is better than nothing. Pursuing educational training beyond high school has pretty much become a necessity.

College itself is also an extremely valuable experience. It is something of a trial life environment where you can live on your own without all the typical adult responsibilities. Additionally, you will likely meet some of the best friends you will ever have - perhaps your future spouse - while acquiring a quality education that forever enriches your mind. Frequently, you can tell within a few minutes of talking with someone whether they went to college simply from the level of confidence they exude in speaking. College helps you discover who you can be and to your full potential.

Even if it costs a small fortune and is a lot of hard work, college is worth the expense and effort 99% of the time.

Associate Degrees Are Essential Component to Higher Education

There is no faster path to undergraduate degrees than the one leading to Associate's. You can earn Associate of Science (AS) or Associate of Arts (AA) degrees in a variety of fascinating subjects in two years or less. And, the best part is, you can apply those earned college credits to continue your higher education to achieve Bachelor, Master and even Doctorate Degrees.

Associate degrees are offered in many academic venues, from community colleges and vocational schools, to colleges and universities. There two main reasons to seek an AA or AS: for career enhancement or as a stepping stone to a higher level college degree. Associate degrees are available in a number of trades and occupations, offering basic training to gain entry-level employment in areas such as computers, health care, office administration, etc. A college degree provides proof to potential employers that the applicant has obtained the basic foundational knowledge required, and an Associate's can add valuable credit to the beginner's resume.

Those who intend to seek graduate degrees such as the Master or Doctorate, are required to first achieve undergraduate degrees, beginning with Associate and then moving into a Bachelor Degree program. Students can enter a variety of degree programs to study arts, sciences, engineering, business, information technology (IT), biotechnology, education, health sciences, and many other fields. Accumulated knowledge and college credits can then be transferred to a college or university to work your way up the academic ladder, and choose a specialty in your chosen field.

Busy adults with little free time and lots of ambition should check out Associate Degrees available online. If you are able to dedicate 12-15 hours to your studies per week, you could be a prime candidate for online colleges and universities, where higher education can be achieved on your own time, at your convenience. Most online degrees can be completed without ever setting foot on a campus, depending on the specific field of study. (Some online courses do require occasional on-site exams or lab work.)

In short, Associate Degrees are an essential component of higher education and occupational training for today's workplace. All you need is a high school diploma, and you are qualified to apply to an undergraduate degree program to get started on earning that AA or AS degree.

To find schools offering Associate Degrees in a field that interests you, search our website and contact a few selected colleges and universities right now. They will send you all the information you need to take that first step to a better future.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.

Copyright 2007 - All rights reserved by Media Positive Communications, Inc.

Author : Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. and ArticleSourcePlus.com. Find Colleges, Universities, Online Schools and Vocational Schools offering Associate Degrees at SchoolsGalore.com, your resource for higher education.

Online Degrees in the Real World

Most individuals graduating high school realize the best way to secure their financial future pertains to pursuing education in an effort to earn an undergraduate degree. From here, individuals choose to attend graduate schools, take entry positions within a desired career field or pursue other types of education. It’s a common belief of the more education an individual pursues, the better their financial future will be. However, during the course of pursuing this education, most individuals accumulate a large amount of student debt. Student debt can put a halt to anyone’s educational goals if interest payments begin to create a hassle. Most students take up a part-time job in order to help pay down interest on their student loans while pursuing an education. Thus, it becomes important to this person to try and cut costs of educational pursuits in any way, shape or form.

Online Degrees in Your Home

Some students decide they’d rather live in their parent’s house while pursuing their undergraduate degree. However, travel needs can become quite time consuming, when one has to commute to and from work or school. Thus, online degrees offer these individuals a way to pursue further education from the comforts of home. Not only do online degrees accompany smaller tuition bills but one could save quite a bit of money by not having to pay rent, travel obligations and other similar expenses.

The Information Follows You Anywhere

Online degrees allows individuals to pursue their hopes and dreams of further education by offering students access to course material from just about any computer at any location with Internet access. Earning online degrees allows the individual to focus most of their energy towards the coursework and part-time jobs, instead of stressing out over travel issues, bill obligations and the hassles of living in an apartment or dorm room.

Schools and universities offering online degrees allow a student to access their homework, quizzes and course material via the Internet at their convenience. All an online student needs is a computer and access to the World Wide Web and they hold the same learning capabilities as students attending campus classes.

Education, Family and Success

Some families depend on a tightly knit community to provide financial, emotional and environmental stability to each individual in the unit. If an individual were to stray too far from home for an extended period of time, several obligations may go unfulfilled and leave the family with the responsibility of reallocating resources. With the introduction of online degrees, younger members of the family can pursue a college degree from the convenience of home. This means the family will stay secure and knit, while contributing less amounts of assets but continue to provide further education to their success-bound members. Any individual wanting to pursue their education further but finding it difficult to leave the comforts of home or even simply unreasonable may be able to find the best circumstances available through online degrees. Most students pursuing online degrees claim they save time, resources and freedom from stress by conducting educational matters from the comfort of home.

Undergraduate Online Degree Programs

For many adults today, the opportunity to pursue a college degree immediately after high school simply was not an option. The reasons for this can vary greatly, from military service, work or financial obligations, family responsibilities, or to pursue other goals before buckling down to attend college. Sometime further down the road, many of us woke up one day to realize that we needed to obtain that degree in order to achieve professional or personal goals. In fact, career stagnation is reportedly one of the primary factors influencing a person's decision to return to school.

Yet, in many instances, current life obligations do not seem to allow one to return to school, mostly due to time or financial restraints. The uncertainty of family commitments and work schedules can further discourage a potential student from considering evening or weekend campus work. And, as adults, the prospect of sitting in class with a bunch of students freshly out of high school really seems unappealing for many of us. Too few working adults can commit to attending an evening or weekend course for a twelve or thirteen week period. In addition, the traditional college route requires a student to take several courses per semester in order to graduate within a reasonable period of time; in fact, failing to graduate after 8-10 years might require a student to take additional courses to meet new requirements.

The increased availability of computing and Internet technologies has helped increase the popularity of online degree programs, many of which are tailored to meet the demands of working adults. These programs alleviate the obstacles facing working adults today by offering 24/7 classroom access and intense, rapidly paced classes that help students to learn skills and keep pace with their brick-and-mortar counterparts. Through online degree programs, working adults can pursue previously shelved educational goals.

Many online degree programs at the undergraduate level are comparable to those found in traditional schools. Programs ranging from law enforcement, nursing, education, business, arts and humanities, and even technology can all be found through online programs. Most of these programs provide the full curriculum that one would expect to find at brick-and-mortar schools. New tools enable instructors to teach material (including online lectures, tutorials, and math and writing labs) to help students excel in all areas.

Like traditional schools, there are some programs that can help further accelerate a student's progress. Most of the online degree programs require 4-5 years for degree completion. Students can choose to transfer previously earned credits from other accredited institutions, and most of these will satisfy general education requirements. Students can also seek to test-out of certain classes by passing accepted exams (CLEP comes to mind). Still other universities offering online degree programs will accept related education taken outside of the traditional college system (as long as there are some continuing education credits attached to that course). I was fortunate to be able to translate military training into acceptable general education studies. A few universities will accept personal or work experience related to your program, often demonstrated through an experiential essay. The best advice is to ask about these programs prior to admission.

Great Tips for Teaching Online

Success in a face-to-face environment does not always transfer to the elements needed for success in an online course; however, teaching online can be as rewarding as teaching in person. By including a variety of interactive strategies and maintaining communication, instructors can create a learning environment that encourages students to learn and to explore. The following tips include the key elements for success in teaching and learning in an online course.

The first week of an online course is very important for both the instructor and the learners regardless of the subject area, program, or level. Clarity is required because the students many not know how to utilize all the online course functions and features, or may be nervous if they have never taken an online class before. Be sure to be very clear on class policies, such as when and how to submit assignments. Some strategies that help the students feel less isolated are including a welcome page or email before the class starts and then having the students introduce each other can help guide how the rest of the class will run as students make connections to their classmates.

Including a general area to discuss things unrelated to a class such as weather, travel, pets is suggested so as to maintain a social connection that is often missing in online courses. It is also very important to clearly outline the rules of netiquette. Let the students know how you want them to frame communications and the tone that is comfortable to all class members. Have a clear organizational structure. For example, the syllabus should be very clearly outlined with dates and deadlines.

When facilitating the class, keep learners actively engaged in thinking about the course content through a variety of strategies such as active participation. For example, you can post thought-provoking questions that do not have direct answers and lend themselves to prompting even more questions and debate.

Make use of online resources that students can easily access. For example they can virtually access electronic articles in the library or repository. With the power of hyperlinks, this is quite doable. However, be sure to check your links each time you teach the course and several times during the course as these may change depending on the hosting service.

Plan interactive assignments that require students to work in teams to problem-solve. For instance, provide them with case studies that they can discuss in chatrooms and discussion boards and have them take turn being responsible for different tasks such as recorder or moderator. Organization is important - make it intuitive where and how to locate course content. Don't switch out things to often and let them have multiple ways of accessing the information.

Use student-centered techniques. You can empower students by having them be responsible for summarizing the week's discussion, being in charge of a discussion, or writing weekly reflections. This approach will empower them and save you time. Create activities where the students can integrate new ideas with existing knowledge, and provide them a frame of reference within the online environment.

Do not let the technology drive the instruction! Try to strike a balance between technology and content. Remember that good courses use the best aspects of multimedia but that do not leave the technology to do the teaching. You want the students to learn and use the technology but not at the expense of the course content.

Most important, be there for them! Remember they could be miles away and feeling isolated. Respond to requests as soon as possible and provide detailed feedback. Patience, availability, and accessibility will keep you connected to the students.

Online Information Technology Schools Make Learning Easy

Our modern reliance on computer technology has opened a vast field of employment for those with training in Information Technology (IT), and online information technology schools can give you an edge over the competition. With a few months of online training in information technology, you could become a well-qualified computer information technician.

The study of computer information science has become widespread to meet the demand for information technicians, and there are many online information technology schools in operation around the US and Canada. I.T. training via distance learning has to be the most convenient computer education ever! Imagine learning the various functions of an information technician online, at your own pace, from your own home. You can learn how the UNIX operating system functions, how to write computer programs using C++ or Java, design efficient computer network systems, manage computer databases, and much more.

The best part about online information technology schools is the relaxed pace and flexible study times. Online schools for information technology are open 24 hours a day, allowing students to download books, tests, and assignments at their leisure and convenience. Take your time or accelerate your education in computer sciences; online schools leave it up to you to determine your own timeline.

Online information technology schools offer a range of degrees in computer information technology, such as the Associate of Science (AS), Bachelor of Science (BS) or Master of Science (MS). If you are just starting out, you can take an online course in information technology to get certificates such as the Executive Graduate Certificate or Undergraduate Certificate in Information Systems with an emphasis in Computer Information Technology, among others.

And, if you are searching for a profession that offers an excellent salary range, you will soon discover that online information technology schools can put you right where you want to be. Depending on the extent of information technology training and experience, graduates can confidently demand salaries as high as $55,000 to $112,000 per year.

If you are ready to meet the challenges of a career in computers, but cannot conform to the confines of a traditional college, we urge you to look into online information technology colleges on our website today.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.

Copyright 2007 - All Rights Reserved by Media Positive Communications, Inc.

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Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. and ArticleSourcePlus.com. Find Online Information Technology Schools, Colleges, Universities, Vocational Schools, and other Online Schools at SchoolsGalore.com, your resource for higher education.