New to online learning? According to the U.S. Department of Education's National Forum on Education Statistics, online education is now on the priority list of most organizations involved with education and training. The combination of students and teachers becoming more comfortable with the technology while sharing and learning from best practices and lessons learned has contributed to distance education greatly improving over the past few years.
"The idea of returning to college first surfaced while I was doing my self evaluation at work, says Anne, a business analyst living and working in South Florida." I love my job, and I was doing quite well," she says. "So I began to wonder what else I could strive to do." Anne is now enrolled in a distance education program at Lynn University in Boca Raton, where she is studying towards a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration while working full-time.
"The biggest challenge has been figuring out how to plan and manage my time, "she says. "But homework only takes a few hours off my weekend, so it's well worth the time knowing I will have my degree soon." On a daily basis, Anne uses her lunch hour to check on homework and dedicates weekend mornings to assignments.
An online college degree may not be an instant solution to your time constraints, but the fact that it is a flexible format may help. Everyone has different study habits, but to successfully complete your degree you can expect to spend about four to six hours a week per class.
For many people, the prospect of initiating a career change can be overwhelming. Where do you get the information you need? How do you keep yourself motivated and on track so that you can reach your goals? One well-known fact is that a higher education oftentimes leads to higher earning and a better job prospective. Perhaps the most relevant benefit involves the luxury of remaining in your home while studying. Not having to get into traffic will reduce your stress level, leaving more time for turning in assignments and doing research for classes.
Distance education is no different from traditional classes as far as planning goes. You may know in advance which time of year is busy for you and maybe reduce the number of classes you enroll in, and do the opposite when things slow down.
The days and times you have to be online for class are entirely up to you as long as you sign on, post comments, and complete assignments as required by your instructor. This allows you to fit school into your busy schedule, rather than attempting to fit your schedule around school.
The nature of the "information age" and communication are changing rapidly, which means that technologies that were previously considered advanced are becoming common factors, and allow for more and more freedom for online students.
Keep in mind that there are several technical skills and requirements that are integral to the success of your online education. You should be able to:
- Use a computer and learning new computer skills with basic instruction
- Navigate the Internet and use search engines
- Send and receive e-mail and working with attachments
- Use word processing applications such as Microsoft Word
The programs of today allow you to receive your class material anytime anywhere that you can get an internet connection and while you are able to attend class anytime that you are logged on, know that it also allows you to download all of your material and take it with you, so you don't need to be connected to the web all the time. Make sure to visit our site and discover the many options that are available to you!
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