WHY CHOOSE AN ONLINE COLLEGE?

As life gets busier it’s becoming the norm for students to earn their college degrees at least partly over the web. Hundreds of traditional two-year and four-year colleges and universities now offer fully online degree programs in business administration, computer science, criminal justice, nursing and more than 100 other subject areas.

Distance learning can help you further your education without slacking in your obligations to family and work. Sweet benefits include flexibility, affordability and variety.

HOW DOES DISTANCE LEARNING WORK & WHO IS BEST SUITED FOR SUCCESS?

Before deciding on a specific online program or college, delve a bit deeper into how distance learning works and how to succeed.

HOW IT WORKS

Have you chosen a college major? For online bachelor and associate degree programs, you can start with or without a declared major. It’s OK to have “undeclared” status — and it might comfort you to know that many “declared” students change their majors by year two.

In most college programs you can spend at least the first semester fulfilling general education requirements. Your credits will apply to whatever major degree program you ultimately choose. But as you take general education classes, ideally you’ll get more insight about your interests, talents and career goals.

College Savings Tips: You can save money on your general college credits in different ways.

• Test out of an online course requirement. For example, it’s typical for a bachelor degree program to require foreign language credits. If you’re already bilingual, you can show your knowledge on a test. Earn college credits without taking college classes. Other examples are testing out of algebra, introductory statistics and English composition. Save big money! Just a couple strategies are taking AP classes in highschool and taking CLEP tests.
• Save money on college credits by studying at community college. That is, for a bachelor degree program, earn your general course requirements from a community college, where credits cost less. Then transfer your credits and finish off your four-year degree at a university.

At the best online colleges, each student is assigned to a guidance counselor who helps with course selection. Also, for most online education programs you’ll take an orientation class. This will teach you how to upload files, take tests online, chat with classmates online, use the school library from a distance, and so on.

Before a class starts, you’ll get an email about how to get started. You may be given log-in credentials for the online portal where video lectures, class discussions, digital learning materials, exams, and assignment submission take place.

Most lectures take the form of pre-recorded videos, so students can access them at their convenience and revisit material before an exam. Many portals these days also have a chat function, allowing students to communicate easily with their professors about any of the course material covered. The online portal is also often equipped with a discussion board. Students might be required to address a topic every week or couple days to earn “participation” points toward their grade. Classroom assignments are usually submitted via email to the professor or uploaded into a folder on the classroom portal.
Exams are often open-book in online learning. Still, that doesn’t mean they’ll be simple. At a good online college you’ll be expected to think critically on tests and show true learning; you can’t just flip through books and notes to find an answer. For success it’s it’s crucial for students to stay on top of readings, lectures, and assignments — just like they would be in a traditional classroom setting.

Online schools also have proctored exams. You might have a webcam set up to help ensure during a test — or you might need to attend a testing location in person. The best online university security systems check your ID before a test online or in person, and they have other safeguards to thwart cheaters.