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Finishing Your Degree in Online College

May 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Though we know how important and valuable our educations are, life doesn’t always make going to college easy. Many students today have to juggle school with full-time jobs and other commitments, and in too many cases, students find themselves overwhelmed and step away from school so they can focus more time and energy on the demands of their hectic lives. But when things slow down, going back to school and finishing your degree is one of the smartest moves you can make, as a college degree comes with a great deal of opportunities and chances for a brighter future. And online college makes earning that degree more accessible than ever.

College degree holders enjoy many benefits that put the costs of college and hard work into perspective. For one, many entry-level jobs in many different industries require a bachelor’s degree in any field for an applicant to even be considered. Having a bachelor’s degree entitles you to better employment positions, more opportunities for promotions, and higher earning potential. All of these things will benefit you and your family in the future, as satisfying and fulfilling work with a livable salary make an excellent framework for continued success and overall quality of life. If you have or intend to have a family, your financial stability and acknowledge of the value of dedication, perseverance, and hard work will benefit them exponentially well into the future.

Benefits of Online College

Even if you began you education in a traditional brick-and-mortar school, you can see it through to the finish line in a distance learning program from an online college or university. For students who stepped away from college because of such challenges as a full-time work schedule, a family to raise, or the realization that trudging to class each day simply isn’t for them, online college is a great alternative that provides increased flexibility in scheduling. Students can go to class from their living room couches or favorite coffee shops, creating a less stringent yet still quality work environment. Not having to commute to campus saves plenty of time which allows students extra time to spend with family or at the office.

You can transfer credits and transcripts to accredited online colleges and pick up with your program where you left off. Or, if your time away from school has changed your mind, you may want to pick up a new field of study. Online colleges offer degrees of all levels in virtually any major, so a bit of research will reveal the school and program that works best for you. Do be sure to check on your school’s accreditation before enrolling; degrees from accredited online schools are just as valuable to employers as degrees from traditional colleges and universities.

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Online College Background Check

April 27, 2012 By 2 Comments

Online college is a great alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar schools for students with busy, demanding lives. More popular now than ever before, distance learning programs make higher education possible for everyone from stay-at-home-moms to students working two jobs to pay the bills to learners who do their best with minimal supervision and stringency in scheduling. Before you enroll in any online college program, don’t forget to do a thorough background check of the school to be sure you’re getting the most for your money – and time – and your chosen college will get you to where you plan to go.

Is Your College Accredited?

One of the most important things to be sure of before you do any class selections or pay any tuition bills is that the school you have selected is accredited. This means that your college has been recognized by an accreditation board as a quality school with reputable programs, resources, faculty, and staff. Accredited schools are recognized by the United States Department of Education; those that have not earned accreditation have not been evaluated (or approved) by an accrediting commission and as such, are not guaranteed to have resources and programs available to you that you need to be successful as a student and earn a quality education. Be certain of your school’s status before you enroll so as to waste no time or money on schooling that will not aptly prepare you for you future career. Additionally, employers will be curious of your training and preparation for any position you apply for, and whether or not your online college is accredited will matter.

Does Your College Offer Your Major?

Not all schools, offline or online, offer all programs. Certain schools are restricted to liberal arts, some are best to attend for math and sciences, and many simply do not have the resources or faculty to reach all types of students. In online schools it is especially important to ensure this before enrollment. Though distance learning programs are offered in most fields, many online colleges offer a less varied selection of majors than a traditional school. Save yourself time and tuition by making sure you can study your preferred subject at your school before making any commitments. If it turns out the online college you’re in does not offer your major, you’ll have a tough decision to make down the line: switching schools or switching your major.

Are Students Successful at This School?

When everything else checks out, it’s important to familiarize yourself with certain rates of student success at your online college. Some research on the website may help you find your answers, or you can speak to someone in the college’s administrative offices for the information you need. Your school should be able to identify such things as student retention rates, graduation rates, and the rate of student employment upon graduation. All of these figures can tell you a great deal about the experiences of students similar to you in the school, and may give you an inside look into your prospective future. These figures can also help demonstrate the effectiveness of the school’s academic programs and help you to see if an education from this school will help to set you up for a successful future and career.

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GED to PhD: Online Degrees for All

April 20, 2012 By 3 Comments

Students of all ages and levels of education are becoming increasingly aware of all the benefits online colleges and distance learning programs have to offer. Particularly for those who must work full-time or manage a family, the accessibility of online schooling offers second – or third, or fourth – chances for students to reach whatever next level of education they set their sights on.

Online education has grown in not only popularity but in possibility as well. Where it used to be favored by graduate students working full time and trying to earn master’s degrees, or busy moms and dads going back to college to complete an unfinished degree, online learning is an option for everyone from high school students to PhD hopefuls.

General Equivalency Diploma (GED) Online

For students who were unable to complete high school for whatever reason, the business world can be unforgiving and unwelcoming. Without a high school diploma or equivalent, there are much, much fewer opportunities available to job applicants. Luckily, obtaining that essential diploma doesn’t have to mean four-hour night classes and impossible exams anymore. Accredited online high schools such as Lincoln Academy and GED Academy offer courses and exams to help students graduate high school, whether it’s been months or years since their last quiz.

Associate’s and Bachelor’s Degrees Online

A large portion of distance learning participants are undergraduate students earning associate’s or bachelor’s degrees. So many various fields are available for online study, ranging from arts to business to science. Studying for your bachelor’s or associate’s degree online can be a great way to balance an otherwise busy life or fast-track your education and, ultimately, your professional career. The business world is catching up with the times as well, and many, if not most, employers report viewing graduates of online colleges and brick-and-mortar schools as being on equal footing. There are a great deal of colleges that are comprised strictly of distance learning, as well as a growing number of traditional colleges offering partially or fully online programs.

Master’s and Doctorate Degrees Online

Accredited master’s and doctorate degree programs are increasing as well in the online learning world. Because of the focused and intensive nature of this level of education, some fields of study will require students to complete an amount of coursework offline, whether in a practical, on-the-job setting or in a traditional classroom. For students juggling jobs, families, fieldwork, and undergraduate debt, attending graduate school online slightly lightens the burden by taking away the time factor of commuting to a campus and increases the scheduling flexibility with home study.

For students looking to advance an their education with a graduate degree, or for those looking to get their educations started, online college may have your perfect accredited program for anything from your GED to your PhD.

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Hybrid and Online Classes from Traditional Colleges

February 23, 2012 By 1 Comment

With the popularity of online colleges, traditional universities are rapidly attempting to keep up with the times and offering students more varied options for their educations. More and more colleges are developing their courses in online and hybrid formats to fit more conveniently into students’ schedules, lessen the chaos of their daily lives, and open more available seats for students in classes. Not only are these online and hybrid classes great for students during an already jam-packed fall or spring semester, but they are often offered during summer and even winter breaks. The online format allows students to work at a quicker pace, in many instances, and work around other commitments that may arise during these weeks away from campus. For example, a student who lives far from his or her campus may take online classes over the summer or winter in order to get ahead on credit hours and speed up their graduation date.

What is a Hybrid Class?

A hybrid class is a relatively new development in colleges and universities. Typically, hybrid classes take the school’s existing standard for class meetings, and reduce the number of times the class meets in person, placing online assignments or “meetings” in the stead of an in-person class. For example, if a college’s typical class meets two times per week for one hour, a hybrid class will meet one time each week for one hour, and have an online class each week as well. Utilizing Blackboard.com or similar websites, students have access to discussion boards, digital dropboxes for submitting essays and assignments, and other resources for keeping in touch with your classmates and professor. These tools are the most commonly utilized resources for online classes from colleges as well, as they allow for all a class’s materials and submissions to be in one convenient, accessible place.

Why Take Online Classes When Attending a Traditional University?

There are many reasons a student may find an online or hybrid class to be a good idea while still attending regular in-person classes. As stated above, the option to take classes online over a school break can help a student stay on pace in the instance of a double major or other special program that requires more than the standard amount of credit hours. Taking an online class during the fall or spring semester comes in handy when another required class is offered in limited times: by taking a less difficult class online, the student’s daily schedule becomes more flexible to fit in work or other demanding classes. The advantage of still being able to meet your professor in office hours also appeals to students who take online or hybrid classes in college. Be sure to not underestimate the work involved in an online or hybrid class, however; if the online class still fills the standard number of semester hours, you can expect the same level of difficulty and work as in an in-person class.

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Getting Started with an Online College

February 16, 2012 By 1 Comment

So you’ve made the decision to get your higher education online. That’s one huge step out of the way! Now that you have decided to make the commitment to get your degree through an online college or university, there are a few more things to check off the to-do list before you can jump in with both feet. The following are things you should be sure to take into consideration before handing over any money or picking out classes.

Make Sure it’s the Right Time

College, either in-person or online, is a huge time commitment and will require a large amount of your energy and attention while school is in session. And even with all the available financial aid out there, it’s going to affect your wallet too. But a commitment is a commitment, and the commitments you make to yourself and your education are among the most important ones in your life. Before shelling out money on tuition and textbooks, and rearranging your life to accommodate classes, be sure that you are in a position to stick to your commitments. It will be difficult at times, to be sure, but if you feel like you’d be tempted to drop out or not give it your all, you’re robbing yourself of the opportunities you’ve worked toward. Be ready to commit your time and attention.

Pick the Right School

Getting your education from an online college or university has many advantages over going to a traditional school. You can tailor your class schedule and work time to fit your schedule or personal life and still get a quality education. But there’s no campus for you to visit, no one to interview you for acceptance, and just about anyone can build an official-looking website. It is of the utmost importance that you research your online schools and be sure that the one you select is an accredited college or university. You can begin your search right here, and narrow down to a top few schools with good research. Online colleges’ websites should offer you all the information you need about their accreditation, faculty and staff, procedures, and programs. You need to know these things about every school you’re considering. After researching, you should be able to narrow it down further by exploring their tuition and fees schedules as well as majors, minors, and certification programs they offer.

Make Sure They Have Your Major

Though this problem is becoming less and less frequent in recent years, there’s nothing worse for a college-bound student than to fall in love with a school, only to realize that it does not support their field of study. If you know what you want to major in, or have an inclination toward one field or another, be sure you can get a good education in your subject at whatever college or university you choose. Some colleges are known for their programs’ strength in specific fields, and some notorious for their lacking in another. Be sure whatever college you attend will allow you to study what you like and will provide you with a quality education in the field of your choosing. Otherwise, you’ll quickly find out how much time and money you’ve wasted, and that transferring credits is not always easy.

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Top 20 List of Online Schools Based on Enrollment

January 19, 2012 By 2 Comments

Earn College Credits at Popular Online Schools

By using a list of colleges and universities you can review several schools offering online courses and degree programs in a short amount of time.  Some of the lists are affiliated with major publications like U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review, while other lists are created by organizations that support continuing education and academic achievement.

In addition to U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review, the United States Department of Education also list accredited schools offering online programs in their database which you can access free of charge.  Organizations and/or publications like College Board, Peterson’s, Online Education Database and Washington Monthly provide list of colleges and universities in Florida, list of colleges and universities in Georgia and other parts of the country.

Details provided in the lists include:

  • Numbers of undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at the schools
  • Dates that the schools were founded
  • Types of distance learning programs available at the schools (e.g. degree, certificate)
  • Location type for the schools (e.g. urban, rural)
  • Majors (e.g. engineering, nursing, law) the schools are known and/or highly regarded for
  • Tuition costs
  • Whether or not the schools accept financial aid, and if they do, the types of financial aid accepted at the schools
  • Religious affiliations the schools have, if they have any religious affiliations
  • Minimum college entrance test scores accepted at the schools
  • Whether or not the schools offer athletic programs that are recognized by organizations like the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and if so, the types of programs (e.g. football, basketball, track and field) offered

Large Online Schools You Can Enroll In

The top online colleges and universities based on student enrollment as reported by U.S. News and World Report are:

  • University of Phoenix (380,232 students)
  • Kaplan University (70,011 students)
  • Strayer University (54,325 students)
  • Ashford University (46,835 students)
  • Liberty University (46,312 students)
  • Walden University (40,714 students)
  • University of Maryland-University College (37,347 students)
  • Grand Canyon University (34,205 students)
  • Capella University (31,998 students)
  • American Public University System (31,331 students)

Another organization providing a list of colleges and universities in New York, a list of colleges and universities in Virginia and other states, schools with large student enrollments, is the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).  The NCES reports additional schools with student populations that provide distance learning programs include:

  • Arizona State University (68,040 students)
  • Miami Dade College (59,120 students)
  • Ohio State University (55,014 students)
  • Houston Community College (54,942 students)
  • University of Central Florida (53,401 students)
  • University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (51,659 students)
  • University of Texas at Austin (50,995 students)
  • University of Florida (50,691 students)
  • Texas A&M University (48,702 students)
  • Michigan State University (47,071 students)

Trying to find the online school that’s right for you may feel like a daunting task until you familiarize yourself with a list of colleges and universities providing you with specific details about each school mentioned in the list.  Rather than visiting colleges and universities in person or telephoning administrators at several online schools, consider taking the time to review the lists so you can find out schools offering the best tuition rates, student activities and distance learning credit and/or degree programs in subjects you’re most interested in majoring in.

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Top 5 Online Christian Colleges and Universities

January 16, 2012 By 2 Comments

Online Colleges and Universities for Christian Students

Publications and organizations like U.S. News and World Report include Christian colleges and universities in their rankings reports.  These and other religious schools offer distance learning programs for continuing education students.  Having local, regional and/or national accreditations, the top online religious schools are not only located in various parts of the United States, they also make it possible for you to get degrees regardless of where you live.

Christian colleges and universities that ranked high in the 2011 U.S. News and World Report college rankings report were Pepperdine University, a private university that has a student enrollment of approximately 3,439.  Located in Malibu, California and founded in 1937, this school that is amongst the top Christian colleges and universities in California is affiliated with the Church of Christ.  Online programs at the school are administered through the Graduate School of Education and Psychology.

One of New York City’s top Christian colleges and universities is Fordham University.  Enrolling about 7,950 students, Fordham is a private university.  Founded in 1841, the school that’s affiliated with the Roman Catholic religion is known for its strong law program. Video and Internet are two major tools the school uses to teach students enrolled in its distance learning programs.

More Top Christian Colleges and Universities

Included in the list of top Texas Christian colleges and universities is Southern Methodist University.  Affiliated with the United Methodist religion, the school operates on a semester calendar and enrolls about 6,228 students.  Founded in 1911, Southern Methodist University is a private school located in Dallas, Texas.  It’s known for its graduate level law and business academic programs.  Online courses are taught using tools like DVDs and online streaming.  Although it’s not ranked higher than the below schools, another school listed amongst the top Christian colleges and university in Texas is Texas Christian University, a public postsecondary school located in Fort Worth, Texas.  Founded in 1873, the school is the largest religious university affiliated with the Disciples of Christ Christian Church.  Operating on a semester calendar system, Texas Christian University enrolls approximately 7,640 students.  The school’s personal and development online courses are offered through its Education To Go program.

Affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints and founded in 1875, Brigham Young University is a private school that enrolls approximately 30,745 students.  The school is located in Provo, Utah.  Distance learning courses are offered through the school’s Independent Learning program.  Popular majors at the school include biological and biomedical studies, business management and social sciences.

Marquette University is affiliated with the Roman Catholic (Jesuit) religion.  About 8,081 students attend the private school that was founded in 1881.  This university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin operates on a semester basis; popular majors at the school include communication, business management and engineering.  Up to 28 credit-granting online courses are available at the university.

Additional Christian colleges and universities offering distance learning programs are listed with organizations like the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.  The organization has a membership of approximately 110 schools in America and an additional 73 affiliate schools in 24 countries.  You can search on schools listed with the Council by name or religious foundation.

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Tips for Earning Your GED Online

January 12, 2012 By 2 Comments

Go Online to Make Earning Your General Equivalency Diploma (GED)
Easier

Years ago General Equivalency Diploma (GED), also referred to as a General Education Diploma (GED) courses were taught at high schools, some of them aged and closed for services to traditional students; others were taught and tested at learning centers.  Getting a GED felt like cramming for a final examination for several weeks for some students back then.  Today, regardless of how old you are, you can get your GED online from the comforts of your home.  Quality educational organizations that administer the programs develop in-depth coursework for their paid or free GED online classes.

Depending on the school you enroll in to complete your GED online, you might be required to be at least 16 years old to get accepted into the school.  The reason you didn’t finish your diploma coursework at a traditional school may not be of importance to school officials.  If you’re a fast learner, you can complete your GED requirements in less than a month.  Otherwise, it can take you up to six weeks to finish the requirements.

After you enroll in an online GED training program consider:

  • Asking school enrollment counselors for a GED study kit you can refer to as you complete course materials and study for upcoming tests
  • You might be required to score 70 percent or higher on each test to move on in the course
  • Enrolling in schools that offer you a lifetime verification (this way if college or university administrators want to confirm that you got an official GED, they can call a certain number at the school and get your GED verified)
  • Purchasing flash cards, calculators and other learning tools that will aid you in your studies
  • Reading through GED preparation books so you know what to expect on the tests
  • Taking GED practice tests before you schedule your actual tests
  • Checking out schools to make sure they are accredited by reputable agencies (you can always contact the accrediting agency and ask them to confirm whether or not the school is, in fact, accredited by them)

Types of Questions Covered on GED Tests

According to the American Council on Education, types of subjects covered on GED tests include:

  • Language arts
  • Social studies
  • Science
  • Mathematics

Multiple choice and essay questions are parts of the language arts test sections.  You’ll have to be familiar with sentence structure, grammar, capitalization, etc. to pass this part of the tests.  Social studies covers geography, history, civics and government and economics.  The science part of the tests covers physical and life science as well as earth and space science.  You can use a calculator on Part I of the mathematics portion of the tests, but not on Part II.

After you get your GED online for free or by paying to enroll in other secondary programs, you can apply for acceptance to postsecondary schools so you can get occupational licenses (e.g. nursing, cosmetology) and/or complete undergraduate degrees.  If you left high school early to serve in the military you might be able to get a GED online for free using military tuition assistance programs.  Additionally, after you get your GED online and start completing college and university courses employers may focus on your postsecondary education more than on whether or not you earned your high school diploma by traditional or non-traditional methods.  Keep in mind that growing popularity of online high school programs may continue to remove the stigma of distance learning programs from the minds of students, parents, educators and employers.

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Take Piano Courses Online

January 2, 2012 By 4 Comments

Learn How to Play the Piano Online

You can take an online piano course through distance learning schools and private instructors.  Some of the best online piano course material may combine video and audio lessons with print material like musical notes that you can read as you practice playing the piano.  To increase your learning and artistic breadth, you can also combine online courses with focused and individualized classroom courses at schools like the Berklee College or Music, Indiana University or Northwestern College Music Academy.

Some schools and academies that teach online piano courses offer training in different music genres.  For example, you can take online courses such as:

  • Simple Latin Piano
  • Intermediate Latin Piano
  • Advanced Latin Piano
  • Dorian and Mixolydian Modes
  • Methods to Improve Your Piano Playing Skills
  • New Jazz
  • Broadway Stage Productions Using Piano
  • Advanced Chord Scales

In addition to taking hands-on courses, you may also be required to read written material to pass or graduate from online piano courses.  The type of piano reading material you may read includes:

  • History of the Piano
  • Theory Fun
  • Contemporary Class Piano
  • Group Piano for Adults
  • Music Theory and Harmony
  • Sight Reading at the Piano
  • Piano Performance and Pedagogy
  • Piano Scales

Piano Lessons for Online Students

Courses are offered at basic or beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.  You may need to have a basic understanding of musical notes, including how to read music, before you take some online piano courses.  Fortunately, you can listen to instructors or musicians play the notes before and as you practice playing the piano to enhance your learning.  Consider renting a piano from a local music store if you don’t already have one so you can complete the courses.  You can also try using an electronic keyboard to learn hand placement and how to read and play notes and chords.

Should you want to combine your online learning with individualized classroom training, you may be required to audition to get admitted to accredited offline schools like the Berklee College of Music.  Through these types of programs you can meet visiting artists who are established in the field.  You can also work in ensembles and/or solo, giving you the chance to expand your piano playing skills.

Piano is one of the creative arts that you can take up whether you plan to earn a living working with music or not.  Taking a tuition based or a free online piano course is a way to extend your learning; enrolling in an online piano course can also shorten the time it takes you to go from an inexperienced pianist to someone who can read music and/or play basic to moderate songs.  Become skilled at playing the piano, reading music online and working with virtual education programs, and you also might be able to teach your own piano courses online someday.  Until then, if you take a course from a private instructor, you’re encouraged to familiarize yourself with the instructor’s bio and working experience.  After all, and as with other college courses, the more knowledgeable and skilled the instructor is, the more she or he may be able to teach you.

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Overview of Online Bible Course

December 29, 2011 By 4 Comments

Taking an Online Bible Course Might Be What You’re Looking For

Fortunately, you may not have to major in religion at an accredited college or university to take an online Bible course.  Religious institutions of higher learning like the Moody Bible Institute, Baptist Bible College or Philadelphia Biblical University teach online bible college courses.  You can also take courses that reference the Bible from mainstream (non-religious) schools.  Furthermore, you can get undergraduate and/or graduate degrees in subjects like theology, religion and philosophy or religious studies.

In addition to taking tuition based and/or free online bible courses, you can also take bible courses to earn degrees like an Associate of Biblical Studies, Bachelor of Science in Bible or a Master of Arts in Christian Ministries or a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership.  You can also combine online bible course studies with other subjects and get degrees like Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Christian Counseling; Bachelor of Science in Bible and Bachelor of Science in Social Work; Bachelor of Science in Bible and Bachelor of Science in Music.

Depending on the school you attend, the courses might be offered through the college’s School of Bible and Ministry, while other colleges offer Bible courses through their Distance Learning departments.  Bible courses you can take online may help you to understand the Bible, the time periods that events from the Bible occurred in, meanings in religious Bible translations and/or original Hebrew biblical texts.  Keep in mind that you can also take an online Bible course as an elective, helping you to complete other degree credit requirements.

Test Driving Online Bible Courses

Some schools like Moody Bible Institute allow you to test-drive their distance learning programs by taking a free trial course.  You can complete sample courses and access the schools’ blackboard learning systems.  Again, the specific tools available for you to test-drive are established by the particular school you attend.  Courses may run for 8 or 16 weeks.  You can also take self-paced online Bible courses.  As long as you have basic experience working with computers and accessing the Internet, you should be fine taking an online Bible course.

Types of courses you can take include:

  • The Church and Its Doctrines
  • Spiritual Life and Community
  • Studying and Teaching the Bible
  • Analyzing and Engaging Worldviews
  • Hermeneutics
  • The Church and Its Ministers
  • Communication of Biblical Truth
  • Marriage and Family Systems
  • Structure and Style in Biblical Exposition
  • Evangelistic Messages

As with other postsecondary schools, make sure that religious schools you’re thinking about taking an online bible study course from are accredited by national or regional agencies.  If administrators at a school tell you the school’s in the process of getting accredited, think long and hard before enrolling in that school as you’re encouraged to enroll in schools that have already received accreditation.  The United States Department of Education lists accrediting organizations it recognizes; this is important because not every accrediting agency is recognized by the Department.  Some recognized religious accredited agencies are the Association for Biblical Higher Education, Commission on Accreditation, Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Incorporated, Accreditation Commission and the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools.  Postsecondary schools accredited by these and other Department recognized organizations are generally reputable and can receive student financial aid from government programs.

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