Getting Your College Degree Online

In December of 2007, I donned a cap and gown and ascended the auditorium stage steps to receive my master's degree at an area university. It was one of the few times I set foot on my school's campus while a graduate student.

I was an on-line student, and in good company as 3.94 million college students took at least one online course during the fall of 2007 according to the Sloan On-line Survey (http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/survey06.asp/).

There are many reasons why the on-line format of learning appealed to me:

1. With a full-time job and three young children, I would have needed a babysitter to watch my children if I had taken night classes on campus. Taking on-line classes allowed me to be home with my family while I was studying and to avoid paying for child care.

2. The closest college campus offering a masters degree was more than an hour's drive from my home. At one point during the time I was working on my master's program, gas was priced at $4.00 a gallon. The on-line format of my classes allowed me to visit the gas station a lot less frequently than I would have had I been committed to driving to a night class three or more evenings per week.

3. In addition to filling my gas tank less often, I also saved campus parking fees, wear and tear on my vehicle and restaurant meals eaten on class night.

4. I not only saved money by not travelling to and from campus but also the time needed to make the trip to class.

5. Coursework can be done anywhere you have internet service. I once wrote and submitted a paper on vacation while my children swam in the motel pool.

6. Your studies can be completed at your convenience. If you are a morning person, you can work on your assignments early in the day. Likewise, night owls can complete required classwork after the rest of the family has gone to bed for the evening.

7. I am a visual learner and on-line classes fit my learning style.

8. On-line classes can be less intimidating to non-traditional students like me who may feel uncomfortable in a class full of twenty-somethings.

9. I liked freedom from having a scheduled class time which allowed me to attend my children's school and sporting events and work obligations outside my normal work day.

10. Finally, taking on-line classes helped me to be confident in my technology skills.

On-line classes may not be for everyone, but, for the right students, they offer savings of time, money and a flexible schedule unlike those found in a traditional post-secondary setting.

Source: http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/survey06.asp