For example, take the student in Detroit Michigan who only has a handful of local or state universities to choose from. They either get accepted into those universities or the door for opportunity shuts completely. Financial aid would be limited to those few local universities as well, leaving someone who can't re-locate out in the cold and unable to start over in a new field.
Fast-forward to today's educational landscape. You can choose from hundreds of online universities, some of them connected to major accredited universities, some of them operating independently but accredited just the same. Suddenly the door for opportunity has grown to include every state in the U.S. and even internationally. You can get a long-distance education that will land you a new career, and you can do it from wherever you are in the world right now.
What's Your Passion?
Whether you're a new student who never had time to get a degree or someone who's shifting careers mid-life, there's a subject out there that will capture your imagination and passion in life. With the recent advancements in technology, you'll find hundreds of fields in the technology realm alone. Old favorites like History, Psychology, and Literature are all still available, too, a testament to how technology has blended the old and new together perfectly in an education setting.
Before selecting a school, you'll need to get serious about the subject you want to study. Some folks will choose a subject based on the career they want to have or how much money they want to earn from that career. Other folks may simply want to study for the sake of pure pleasure (yes, people still love to learn). Before picking your online school, have a real look around the online courses and degrees that are available at your potential schools.
What's your End Game?
Envision the future you want to have for yourself. What do you want to invest your time in learning? Is it law? Medicine? Psychology? You can get a tremendous number of ideas for potential careers and subjects just by scouring through the online programs available at various accredited universities. Ask yourself a few questions as you start:
- Do you want to work closely with people in a personal setting?
- Do you prefer more technology/hands-on work with machinery or abstract projects
- What kind of money do you want to make from your career?
- What subjects did you love in school or did you ever want to learn more about a particular subject in high school?
- What's your learning style? Do you learn better by reading, talking to people about subjects, or going hands-on in a field?
The Expansive Online Learning Universe
They say it's a small world, but there's nothing small about the world of online schools. These places are big, sprawling, and contain a near-infinite amount of degrees for you to choose from. The sky is limit here. Since you're not confined to a single classroom in a single location, you can really be selective about what you want to learn and how long you want to spend getting a degree or certificate.
The length of programs will usually range from 1-year for an accelerated program to 4-years and beyond for more extensive, traditional programs. The freedom to commit to a certain length of study is one of the major perks of online learning. If you want to switch careers fast, there's a career out there for you that will allow you to do it. Some of the most popular online programs include:
- Criminal Justice
- Psychology
- Nursing
- Engineering
- Healthcare Administration
That's the short list. There are thousands of more degrees to choose from. And if you don't want a full degree but just want to learn about a new subject for the pure pleasure of it, there are plenty of affordable online schools out there that will let you pick and choose what you want to learn this year.
Now that you have an idea of what your field might be, what's the next step? Let's say that you want to get a degree in history so that you can one day teach history. What's your first step? Well, it's the first step of all students in the world right now: you've got to choose which school you're going to attend.
Tips for Picking the Best Online School
What's right for others may or may not be right for you. Don't look at the preferences of other students before picking out your online school. The fact is that if it's an accredited online university or program, there's a chance it might fit into your particular idea of a "good" online school.
All the basics of your goals need to be there. The school must without question offer the program or course that you're interested in studying. For example, you might really love a certain online school, but it might not offer the degree you want (e.g. Nursing). If that's the case, you should find another online school that mirrors the qualities of your first choice but also offers a degree in the Nursing field you've got your eye on.
Choose Wisely
The following are the major facets of online schools that you'll want to look for. If a school has these qualities, it might be one of your best bets or even your best bet for an online degree.
Accreditation
Accredited online schools are schools that meet the stringent requirements of their industries. They've been peer reviewed and determined to offer a quality education for the degrees they offer. If at all possible, make sure to select from a lot of schools that are accredited.
Prolific Classes
Life is full of things that we can learn, and there's no reason to pick an online school unless its curriculum really makes you passionate about getting your degree. You want a school that offers a lot of different classes and represents many industries. The more classes, the better.
Career Guidance
No matter how much most of us wish that education was free, it isn't free. In fact, it's very expensive. Because of this, you want to make sure that you select an online school that has a wealthy amount of career services for students who get a degree. Getting an education is a crucial first step to a new career, but it's the equivalent of just running a race and winning it. If you don't pick up that "trophy" or "medal" at the end of the race - AKA a new career - then the race isn't going to be as profitable. Good online schools offer guidance on what to do after graduation in order to find a good new job.
Reputation
Good online schools usually enjoy a stellar reputation among current and former students, and we all know how vocal online users are about their experiences. It's one of the perks of choosing an online service in the first place; it gives you thousands of perspectives from people who have actually used the service and know how it benefits them (and by extension others). Online schools are no different in this respect. A great online school will have good word of mouth reputation and generally have many successful students to sing its praises. You may be among that chorus someday when you've received your degree from that school.
Good Tech Support
Many students overlook the role that technology plays in online learning environments. Even though it should be obvious that any online endeavor needs great tech support personnel, many students forget this facet of online education. Make sure that your prospective university or program has a great tech support team that enjoys a good reputation with current students. In order for online learning to be profitable for you, you'll need to know that all the classes and materials are up and ready to go when you need them. The tech team at any online school helps to make this possible.
Why Choose Online Learning?
Now that you know what to look for when selecting the best online school for you, keep in mind your goals as you go forward. Why is online learning the best option for you? Many people choose online learning because it doesn't require them to relocate. It doesn't require them to keep a set class schedule, so that they're able to maintain their current job and still meet the requirements of the class by taking tests online in their own time.
The convenience of online learning has been well-known for over a decade now. Many students that are enrolled in real-life, traditional colleges choose to take online courses instead of in-person courses because it allows them more freedom to schedule their learning activities and tests. Not only is the arrangement more convenient, but it lets them have freedom to forego the stress of keeping a strict in-person class schedule.
Your goal going forward is to find an online school that has all of the positive qualities that were discussed here. You'll quickly find that there are many of these schools available today; in fact, there are thousands of different courses and programs to choose from, a good many of them meeting the needs of different types of students.
The best online school for you will eventually reveal itself. Don't rush the process of deciding. Really think about what it is you want to study before applying for a specific school, and be sure to measure your prospective choice against other competitors in your chosen program. How do they measure up? What do other students have to say about them?
An Exciting New Future Awaits
People are creatures of habit, but when the time comes for a change, they're also creatures of innovation. When the time comes to make a career change or choose a career in the first place, the human mind is keen to spring to action. We know that you're likely one of those innovators as well, someone who wants to change your life in a positive way.
Online learning is a permanent part of our educational structure going forward. While at one time its authenticity and usefulness might have been debated, it's no longer a debate. Online schools are just as good as offline schools, and for busy people already living active lives, online schools are a better choice than in-person institutions. This year, there will be thousands of choices that await you. Which one is going to win you over?
Applying to online programs and courses is an exceptionally easy thing to do these days. You can apply in your spare time and really work on your own time as you apply to schools that interest you. A good application to an online school is your first step toward a new career and life. The application itself will lay the foundation for a brand new, exciting future that awaits you. Don't be nervous! The search for excellence in online education is just part of the fun of the journey, not the destination.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional consultation or advice related to your health or finances. No reference to an identifiable individual or company is intended as an endorsement thereof. Some or all of this article may have been generated using artificial intelligence, and it may contain certain inaccuracies or unreliable information. Readers should not rely on this article for information and should consult with professionals for personal advice.
