Campus or computer? Should you attend a
bricks and mortar college to earn your mortar board? Or should you
obtain your college education and degree online?
On-site or online: each has its own distinct advantages. There's no
denying that attending a four-year college and living on campus has its
charms. The experience can result in a lasting attachment to a college
and its campus, and often introduces students to fellow classmates who
become lifelong friends. And for an 18-year-old high school graduate,
there are few options more enticing than leaving the parental nest and
living on one's own for the first time.
But let's face it: Not everyone who wants a college degree is 18 years
old. Or has the money to pay tuition and live on campus for four years.
Or has the time to take four years off from an established life, job or
family and dedicate it to full-time schooling. The odds for obtaining a
college degree are stacked against most people.
Find degree programs from leading accredited online schools and
accelerate your career.
Or are they? Any number of colleges and universities offer a wide range
of courses and degree programs online which are ideal for working adults
who wish to continue their education. Vocational certificates, associate
degrees, bachelor, master's and even doctorate degrees are within reach
of virtually anyone who can reach a keyboard. These degrees are fully
accredited, widely accepted, and every bit as valuable as a degree from
a campus-based college.
In addition, there are many advantages to pursuing a degree online,
including:
1. Time Flexibility. You study when you want to study, and you study at
your own pace. There's no competition to keep up with the arrogant
know-it-alls; no chance of being slowed down by the... uh, by the... uh,
by the intellectually challenged.
2. Schedule Convenience. At a campus college, if the only time they
offer that mandatory course is 8 AM on Saturdays, you can kiss your
weekends goodbye. For months. But online courses allow you the freedom
to study at 8 AM, if you want, or at 8 PM, or even at 3 AM...whenever
you feel up to tackling the material. Could it be any more convenient?
We think not.
3. Location Freedom. Want to study in your study? No problem. In the
airport? In your hotel room? Be our guest. On the airplane, commuter
train or in your carpool? Sure, why not? In that trendy coffee shop on
the corner? On the sun-dappled lawn, beneath that shady tree? Feel free
— free from the restraint of having to be in a specific classroom at a
specific time, rain or shine. (A laptop and wi-fi access might be
required to study in these locations. And a fully-charged battery is
always a good idea.)
4. Geographic Freedom. Live in New York but want to study a course only
available in California or London? Let the Internet do the commuting for
you. And there's no need to worry about the time difference, either.
Geography is irrelevant when the web is world-wide!
5. Price Flexibility. With literally hundreds of colleges to choose
from, you can compare costs among them and find one that fits your
budget. Online courses are typically less expensive than traditional
college credits, and especially so when you subtract expenses like room
and board, or even the gas it takes to drive to a campus. Even better:
Many employers will pay a portion of continuing education costs—and if
your boss is a cheapskate, there are as many financial aid options
available for online colleges as for ground-bound schools.
6. Don't Quit Your Day Job (Until Your Degree Buys You A Better One).
Employed individuals wishing to enhance their career or change careers
can very rarely take enough time off of work to attend college
full-time. By taking online courses, you can keep your day job and work
toward that promotion...or look forward to kissing that dead-end job
goodbye once you get a degree.
7. Have It Your Way. Everyone learns differently. Traditional schools
have a "one size fits all" approach, and if you don't conform, tough.
Online courses usually include multimedia such as text, video, and
audio, all easily accessible over the Internet. You can learn in the
manner in which you learn best, and you can revisit the lectures, notes,
and other materials as often as you need to until you're satisfied that
you've got the information down cold. The convenience and ease of access
of this material certainly beats sitting in a classroom while trying to
pay attention to a lecture and scribble down notes for later study at
the same time.
8. Multitasking. Computer skills are vital in today's world, and the
better cyberspace wrangler you are the better access you have to data,
information, and knowledge—not to mention career enhancement. By taking
online courses, you are simultaneously developing proficiencies in
computer, software and Internet use which are transferable to virtually
any computer environment. And when you're tired of studying, a relaxing
hand of Solitaire is just a click away.
9. Numerous Courses and Degrees. With hundreds of online colleges
offering literally thousands of courses and degrees, virtually anyone
can find a subject of interest, whether for personal improvement, career
development, or just for fun. In addition, you can study subjects that
might not be available in any college in your town, county or state.
10. Intangible Benefits. If you show up to class in your PJ's, they
might send you home. But no one can stop you from studying in your PJ's
if you're studying at home. You don't have to hang around with strangers
and pick up their colds. You never have to hunt for a parking space. You
never have to stress about being late to class. You'll never miss
another class, period. You don't have to eat cafeteria food. There's no
classroom "performance pressure." If you fall asleep in "class," you
still wake up at home. You don't have to turn off your cell phone when
you're "attending" a lecture. (Additional intangible benefits are left
as an exercise for the reader.)
