Continuing Your Education
Campus and Online College Search
You've decided to go back to school. You've done your homework, talked to your boss, explained things to your family and are now ready to apply for college. The first thing you must do is decide what kind of college you would like to go to, what type of college best suits your needs: an online college or a traditional college or university.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both the traditional and the online college experience.
It is easier to find funding for a traditional college. Federal funding in the form of federal student loans, the Stafford loans, and FAFSA, is available for all students who would like to continue their education at a traditional university. Many students prefer traditional university and college experiences over an online college for the social atmosphere. Some students simply do better in a classroom with a teacher, a bell, and other students. Still other students need the discipline provided by a teacher telling them exactly when an assignment is to be done and how it should be completed.
On the other hand, students who decide to pursue their studies in an online college often claim to like the solitude of studying in their own home. They say that it is easy to communicate with fellow classmates and teachers via chat rooms and e-mail. Online students claim that the money they save on housing and other such costs related to attending a traditional college or university more than makes up for the lack of federal funding they might have received by attending the traditional school.
If you feel that an online college or university best suits your needs, there are a few things you need to know before you start applying.
Make sure the online college you are considering is legitimate, that the college degree you earn will help to better your future. If the tuition of a school seems low or they offer a significant amount of credit for something called life experience check with the Council of Higher Education Accreditation and make sure the school you are considering applying to is legitimate. A good rule of thumb is that if the school sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Lots of students shop for colleges based on the degree they hope to earn. If you are already hoping to receive your master's degree, looking at schools that only offer a certificate of completion will only be a waste of time. The same is true for degree programs. If you know what degree program you are planning on pursuing, you’ll be able to choose schools that offer that type of degree program and weed out the ones that aren't. If you're already working and are pursuing your degree in hopes of bettering your position in the same company, talk to your employers about what type of degree and what degree program would best suit your needs.
Have you previously taken college classes? When you talk to the online college where you are considering applying at be sure to ask how difficult it would be to transfer your previous credits. For many students, the transferring of credits is what determines what school they attend in the end.
Ask what the school's policy is about life experience credits. Many legitimate colleges do offer credit for life experiences; where you have to be careful is if the schools let you earn an entire degree based on life experience. The maximum amount of life experience most legitimate schools will accept it is about 25% of the overall credit hours.
Ask the school about the typical size of their online classes. Just like their traditional counterparts, the smaller the student-teacher ratio, the more individual attention each student will receive from the teacher. If you are a student that requires a lot of one-on-one time you will be better off in a smaller school with smaller class sizes.
Get to know the customer service department of your school. Simply because they have a 1-800 number does not mean that they will be around to answer your questions. Test them by calling and asking questions before you apply or enroll.
With a lot a research, a lot a questions, and a lot of follow-through, locating an online college will just be one more experience on your path through life.
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