To Get a Degree or Not: Part 2

By Rebecca Miller

Abby Bronstein was stuck in an $8 an hour job with nowhere to go but down. She made the decision to go back to school. One of the biggest concerns about going back to school was how long it was going to take to earn a degree. With her family’s finances dwindling, Abby needed to get educated, get out of school and get a job fast. This immediately ruled out a four-year degree program at a traditional college or university. She would never be able to finish her degree and earn a living over a four year period. Abby began to explore two-year programs.

After visiting several schools near her home, Abby opted out of attending an on-campus degree program as she felt out of place on campus where most of the students were nearly half her age. Additionally, most traditional colleges and universities do not offer adequate resources and solutions for non-traditional and adult learners. Most are tailor-made for traditional students.

With campus-based learning crossed off her list, Abby’s next stop was online colleges and universities offering 100 percent online degree programs. In addition, she could choose from a number of vocational and career colleges that offered comprehensive online degree programs.

Each school’s online learning format differed and offered majors in a variety of fields. However, in general, most online degree programs today provide accelerated completion options, online student services and resources as well as interaction with professors and peers. Best of all, the majority of online degree programs only require a computer and internet access, offering textbooks, course syllabi and other resources completely online. Of further benefit, Abby discovered that most online degree programs had no specific meeting times, enabling her to download recorded lectures and class notes to study at her discretion.

The only possible downfall of an online degree program is that they can be more work than traditional campus-based programs. Due in fact that they require more personal discipline, extra reading, research and possible lag time of receiving professor feedback.

After weighting her options, Abby decided on an 18-month accelerated completion degree program from a 100 percent online college. Despite the extensive coursework, long hours of studying and constant time crunch to get things done, online learning proved to be an overall good experience. Online learning enabled Abby to become a faster and more comprehensive reader, improved her research skills and enhanced her time management abilities.

Immediately after graduation, Abby accessed her school’s online career center which provided resume preparation assistance, interview techniques as well as connected her with employers. Today she holds a fulltime job in her field.

In less than two years, Abby was able to earn her degree, get a job she loves and help support her family. The key to achieving a feat like Abby’s is research, hard work and focus.

To find your own online degree program, begin by researching schools, degree programs and earning options. Websites like UniversityDecisions.com offer a comprehensive guide to traditional colleges and universities, online and campus-based programs as well as career and education advice.