Online Degree Programs: Are They Right for You?

From the Ivy league on down to the local junior college, there seems to be an unlimited number of colleges and universities offering online degree programs. But how do you cut through the marketing hype and decide whether an online degree program is right for you?

I received my graduate degree from Regis University after taking all but four of my degree classes online. In my experience as an online student and from watching other students, I have come to the conclusion that certain types of people are more likely to succeed in online learning than others. Here are a few important questions you need to honestly ask yourself before settling on an online degree program:

1) Are you a self-starter?
If you are given a deadline for an assignment, do you work on it steadily until it is finished, or do you wait to get started until the weekend (or night) before it is due? In most cases, due to the heavier work loads in online degree programs, students who habitually procrastinate will have a very difficult time getting decent grades in online classes.

2) Do you know how to budget your time?
Will you make the time you need to do things right or do you need to be constantly reminded and badgered about project deadlines? Online classes may or may not have a set meeting time to keep you up-to-date and remind you when assignments and projects are due. Some classes are email only, while others meet in a chat session weekly or biweekly. Being able to set time aside at least 4-5 days a week for classwork is a crucial skill for students in online degree programs.

3) Do you like to read and learn on your own?
In a classroom setting, you can sit in the back and doodle or surf the net with only half your brain engaged in listening to the lecture. In an online class, effective learning often requires massive amounts of reading to make up for the lack of face-to-face class time. I believe in the course of my online degree program, I averaged between 100-150 pages of reading a week, not including research for papers and assignments. Of course, undergraduate programs would likely require far less reading than this.

4) Are your written communication skills fairly good?
In addition to reading assignments, most online classes require weekly written assignments to be completed in addition to one or more term papers. If you struggle with writing essays and reports, you will have a more difficult time keeping up with assignments in online classes. Furthermore, many online degree programs, undergraduate as well as graduate, culminate with a written thesis.

5) Are you willing to wait hours or days for help with lessons?
In a traditional classroom setting, you can simply ask a question to get help when you don't understand something. In an online education setting, most communications will be by email, and getting answers can be a hassle when dealing with a very busy professor.

If you answered Yes to all of the above questions, you will very likely find an online degree program to be a good fit for your needs. If you couldn't honestly answer Yes to all the questions, but feel you could learn to do these things, take an online class and see how it works out. You might just surprise yourself at what you are capable of.

On the other hand, even if you have all these traits, if you are the sort of person who thrives on inter-personal relationships, who finds meeting people and interacting with them face-to-face to be especially intellectually stimulating, you will probably be less happy in an online degree program. Taking a few online classes shouldn't be a problem, but you will most likely be more comfortable and get more satisfaction out of learning in a traditional classroom setting.

To summarize, the most successful online learner will be someone who is a self-starter, is a responsible steward of their time, is a decent writer, and is comfortable reading, learning, and working on their own. If you have all of these traits, you could be very successful in an online degree program.