Advantages And Advice About Online Degrees
By Larry Denton, Sat Dec 10th

Today, many people are engaging in some form ofself-improvement activity. Bookstores, magazines,and newspapersare full of books and articles on how to be a better humanbeing. If you want to be healthier, you diet. If you want tofeel younger, you exercise. To expand your horizons, you travelor learn a foreign language. While these are all worthwhileactivities, perhaps none are as important as continuing youreducation and obtaining a college degree.

Online education is no longer the wave of the future. It is herenow! Around the country and, indeed, around the world, mostcolleges and universities provide some or all of their classeson the Internet. Some schools provide an entire degree programonline. Thousands of people, from all walks of life, are gettingan online college degree by taking these classes in the comfortof their own home.

Not long ago, distance learning was perceived as trendy, faddishand inferior. Today, however, "12% of all students are takingclasses online and what they are learning is just as good as ifthey were sitting in classrooms and lecture halls," says Dr. I.Elaine Allen, Babson College associate professor of statistics.

A comprehensive survey released by Babson College and the SloanConsortium concludes that online learning is just as good astraditional, face-to-face classroom instruction. The survey alsoreports that online learning is at historically high levels andpredicts that it will continue to grow at an annual rate ofnearly 20 percent.

The driving forces behind the phenomenal growth of onlineeducation are convenience and demand. Traditional colleges anduniversities set annual and semester schedules for when classesare offered. This is not the case with e-colleges and onlinecourses. Students pursuing online degrees can take the coursesthey want, when they want, and are not confined to any setschedule of class offerings.

Online degree courses offer much more flexibility in the livesof the students. You can literally go to class in your pajamassince your classroom is your living room (or office), and youcan work on your online degree any time of the day or night.Distance learning degrees are now available to the stay-at-homeparent, the single parent, the working parent, working class menand women of all ages, and home bound men and women.

Potential students are no longer limited to local communityclasses, universities housed on large, far away campuses, ornight schools. Online degree programs provide students with amethod to pursue a valuable college degree without leaving theircurrent job or living situation. A major part of the expense ofa college education is the need to relocate to another town orcity to live on or near the traditional campus. With onlinedegree

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programs, however, students can continue with theircurrent employment and fit classes in at their convenience.

Demand is the second force propelling the substantial growth ofonline degree programs. Many students, particularly adults, justwant to finish their higher education as quickly and asinexpensively as possible. People learn at different rates andin many different ways. Most traditional college classes aregeared toward the average learner, which means that some peopleget left behind, while others quickly get bored. Online coursesallow students to set their own pace, so that they get the mostvalue out of the classes they take.

An online college degree is more important than ever for severalreasons. First, employers feel that we are presently in anemployer's market. This means, simply, that there are moreworkers than jobs at the moment and consequently the employerscan be more selective in the individuals they hire.

Secondly, jobs which pay the highest salaries are those that arethe most specialized. Specialized occupations require moretraining/education, primarily because these jobs require themanipulation of facts, figures and technology.

Another factor driving people to obtain online degrees is theindisputable fact that the current jobs in the U.S. are becomingmore and more service oriented. These jobs have relatively lowwages and are labeled as "unskilled" work. Thus, to prepareyourself to qualify for a job paying higher wages, you need toretool or learn new skills and competencies.

Finally, we now live in a global economy which demands higherprices for homes, automobiles, utilities, medical care, and thelike, without actually providing enough gainful employmentopportunities. If you want to increase, restructure or enhanceyour wage earning abilities, an online degree is, indeed, a goodplace to begin.

The best online college let students apply past college creditand even relevant work experience towards their online degreeprograms. Some employers will even share the costs of youronline education, because they appreciate your desire to improveyour job skills--without leaving your job.

Online degrees have become widespread because we want them, andwe need them. Investigate what an online degree can do for you.Search for a degree that interests you. Do some comparativeresearch on the Web, then enroll in the classes and receive youronline degree in a few short months. You'll be glad you did!

About the author:Larry Denton is a retired history teacher having taught 33 yearsat Hobson High in Hobson, Montana. He is currently V.P. of ElfinEnterprises, Inc., an Internet business providing valuableinformation on a variety of timely topics. For a computer roomfull of advice, resources and suggestions about online degrees,visit http://www.OnlineDegreeNow.com