Online Education and You

The internet has changed a lot of things but perhaps nothing has been impacted as much education. It's a fact: anyone with an internet hookup can enroll for classes that enable them to study virtually any subject at any time and at any place - without ever having to worry about setting foot in a classroom.

The virtual classrooms of the new millennium are open to anyone -- no matter how much or how little education they have in the first place. Don't believe me? According to elearners.com, online education continues to grow faster than any other facet of education because it's so darn accessible.

And that's the way it should be. Men and women who otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to take classes and study due to career, family and time restraints can seek out educational opportunities like never before.

No Lines When You're Online

When I was in college, classes always seemed to interfere with two things: my personal life and sports. That I graduated is more a testament to my dear 'ol mum kicking me in the seat of my pants than to any academic yearnings I may have entertained. Fortunately for me, online classes allow me time to devote to my family and the gym and I don't have to worry about long lines at registration, traffic or being late for class. I suspect I'm not the only one that has tuned in to these great on-line benefits and more.

Having established that, let it be said that every on-line class has its own procedures for attendance and homework, but according to findaschool.org, students will typically post their homework on a virtual bulletin board so your instructor and other students can leave comments. Some classes gather weekly for online "chats" between teacher and students and others still encourage the use of webcams in order to get more up close and personal.

The Program That's Right for YOU

I'm hard-pressed to think of any particular subject that isn't offered online. So given the number of online class opportunities it's important to do your research. In the same way that some brick-and-mortar universities are better than others, so it is with online schools. There are some great resources out there to help you. The best of which just may be the Online Education Database (www.oedb.org ) which posts reviews of accredited online programs. Another is free-ed.net. And speaking of accredited programs, those are the ones you may want to consider most as accredited programs are usually those most valued by employers.

Show Me the Money

Many online educators point out that these days online college course cost almost as much as traditional classes do. So again do your homework - pardon the pun - and take a close look at financial aide programs, employers partial pay programs, scholarships and grants. A great resource is online-education.net.

Take the Next Step

The only thing missing now is YOU. Every day you put off continuing your education is another day wasted. You had a great excuse before online education came to the fore: school was too far, too crowded, too this and too that.

Now its just you and the prof!

Come on...what are you waiting for?