Have you ever thought about enhancing your education by going back to
school? If so, you probably have wondered whether you should go your
local college or university. If you haven't been to one recently, let me
paint you a picture.
There
are usually acres of buildings, jammed parking lots, and lots of other
students. You might have to commute for miles in terrible traffic, and
then find it impossible to park near your classes. You may spend hours
traipsing back and forth across campus, lugging 30 pounds of books on
your back. You stand in line to register your classes, only to find that
they are all full. Or if your class is available, it's at 7:00 a.m. or 9
p.m. If you have a family to juggle, it gets worse -- the kids get sick
you get to miss classes. And most of the students closely resemble your
youngest child, making you feel like a dinosaur.
Does the above
scenario fill you with dread? Could it be the reason you haven't pursued
higher education before now? What if you could achieve your educational
goals without leaving the comfort of your own home, and maybe even do
it cheaper?
If this is music to your ears, you should consider getting an online education.
All you really need is a computer, an internet connection, and the
desire to learn. No traffic nightmares, no weather worries. No
scheduling conflicts or babysitter problems, and you can even go to
school in your pajamas. Wow! That's my idea of school. You take the
classes you need at the times you want, at your own speed, and still
achieve your chosen goals.
Online education does
not mean that the classes are easier, it just means that they are easier
to take. You will still have to study, do homework, write papers, take
midterms and final exams. Yes, you do have to work! But the good news
is, you can do it in the comfort and convenience of your own home.
The
advantages of getting an online education are virtually endless. If you
have ever considered getting more education to improve your chances of
landing a job, or making more money, or maybe even changing careers
completely, now is the time to do it. There really is no excuse for not
pursuing the wonderful opportunities available through distance education.
For
many people this is all the motivation they need to get going. However,
it is important that you know your limitations. If it's impossible for
you to have quiet time on a regular basis, if you find it difficult to
focus with all the insanity going on around you, or if you just can't
discipline yourself to do the job, then distance education might not be
for you.
However, if you are adept at managing the ins and outs of
your personal life while dealing with the demands of going to school,
you should be able to juggle the extra balls that an online degree program might toss at you.
During
the past 10 years, distance education has finally come into its own,
and now many programs are even eligible for federal financial aid such
as grants and loans. So it's entirely possible for you to attend school
without breaking the bank. You can find classes and online education
programs in a large variety of topics, starting with getting your GED
and going all the way up to masters degrees and Doctoral programs.
Some
online schools have brick and mortar campuses and some don't. Some
require occasional meetings with students and teachers, also called
limited residence requirements. Many have no such requirements, and your
education is simply based upon the classes you complete successfully.
Some schools require you to attend online live or prerecorded lectures
or interactive classes, while others just give you the class materials
online and let you take exams when you are ready.
It is important
that you research the options thoroughly and carefully. Whether you're
planning to take trade courses, business classes or any type of higher
education, make sure the distance learning program is
accredited by the appropriate agency in your state. There's nothing
worse than wasting your time, money and energy to get an education that
you won't get credit for, unless of course you are doing it just for
fun.
What you need to do first is decide what career you want to
pursue or what subject you want to study or, then look for the online
education learning program that's best suited to meet your needs.
Whether you want to learn web design, culinary arts, business management
or something else, you'll be able to find a distance learning program that will give you what you need.