Five Benefits I Receive from Online Education

In July of 2011, I decided to pursue a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. For me, attending an online college was an easy decision since I work from home. After careful research, I ended up choosing Columbia College's online campus and signed on as a freshman. My experiences as a student thus far have shown me that I made the right decision when I opted out of the campus experience.

Fuel Costs

While the largest portion of my tuition expenses are covered by grants, I do have out-of-pockets costs for a portion of those charges and for textbooks. My budget can handle these expenditures, but it could not readily handle the cost of fuel if I would have chosen to attend a real university. Even though there are three higher education options within a 15 minute drive for me, gas costs would add up quickly, particularly here in the Midwest where winter warm-ups are a necessity.

Tuition Costs

The three colleges mentioned above were also not viable options because each one of them is a private university. However, even if one were a state school, my tuition would have been prohibitively expensive since each is located out-of-state. As a resident of the extreme northwestern corner of Illinois, my educational choices revolved around a Dubuque, Iowa college or the University of Wisconsin at Platteville unless I picked an online school.

Flexibility

I'm actually moving cross-country soon and knew I would be when I enrolled in college online. Because my classes are internet based, I can log-in from public libraries or Wi-Fi hotspots while moving and until my internet connection is hooked up in a new home. That type of flexibility isn't found in a 3-D classroom.

Work and School

As a self-employed freelance writer, I sometimes have to keep odd hours to cover a hot news story or meet a daily earning's goal. Studying online allows me to do this because I start each class with a sheet of school assignments that have a time range for completion, such as Sunday to Wednesday. I don't have to be in class at 9:00 sharp. Instead, I have to turn in work and reply to classmates' work within the pre-specified time frame.

Learning Style

Online learning also suits the way I have always learned best. Honestly, I found high school a bit slow minus a couple of classes. I learn swiftly and would hate to be tied into a college class for three months when I can complete the same class online in two months then move onto another course. While the course load each semester is lighter because I take fewer classes, each class is accelerated which makes it a more challenging and interesting experience.

Attending college online has truly worked out well for me, and I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity to attend a good school that suits my needs.