Posts Tagged ‘online degree university’

Distance Education Programs Offer Scholarships

Monday, May 18th, 2009

Millions of people are currently enrolled in online degree programs, and this number continues to soar. Hardworking adults are realizing they don’t have to quit their jobs and give up their family lives to get a promotion or change careers. Until recently, though, costs for tuition at many distance learning universities were significantly higher than the costs at traditional college campuses.

This has begun to change, however. As more universities offer distance education degrees, these schools realize that they have to keep their prices competitive. Who wants to pay more than necessary for an online college degree? Most adults don’t care about how prestigious the school is; they only want to earn a degree from an accredited online degree university.

A number of universities and scholarship foundations have begun offering scholarships to students enrolled in distance learning degree programs. These scholarships help to cover the cost of tuition and book fees. Many government grants are also available for online degree universities, and most government loan programs can now be used to help finance a distance learning education.

Finding scholarships for distance education programs may not be as easy as finding traditional college scholarships. Still, many are available to students who are willing to look for them. Why pay more than you have to in order to earn a degree online?

The Truth about Top Online Schools

Sunday, January 11th, 2009

Just how important is it, anyway, to be accepted at an elite college or university and get your degree? Does a business degree from Harvard really matter more than a business degree from the local community college or online degree university? Unfortunately, it really does. Most of us, though, aren’t likely to enroll in Harvard University any time soon, so what other options do we have for getting a good education online?

Probably the most important fact in any distance learning degree program is to make sure that the school is regionally accredited. If the school isn’t accredited, your degree won’t be worth much, and neither will all the time or money you spent earning it. Don’t waste your time in a degree program that isn’t accredited.

Take time to do your research. If you are already employed and seeking a promotion or wanting to advance your career through other employment, ask around to see what university degree programs are most respected in your area. Certain universities may be more well-known, and therefore carry greater weight, than other online degree programs.

If you are just beginning your career, interview accredited online university degree programs. Talk with the admissions counselors and find out what the requirements and expectations are. Tuition costs are often an important consideration. Don’t enroll in a degree program you can’t afford to finish!

There are literally thousands of distance university degree programs available. Look around and find the one that’s right for you. After all, it’s your career – not anyone else’s – that is at stake!

An Online Degree Education in Real Life Lessons: Second Life

Sunday, December 7th, 2008

You’ve probably heard of Second Life, the online reality simulation that allows people to build characters who fall in love, pursue careers, buy and sell property, and even become virtually famous. But what does this reality game actually have to do with real life? This game, according to national economic experts, teaches real-life distance learning lessons that help students of the American economy to better understand, and avoid, financial mistakes.

No, this virtual reality game cannot award real-life distance degrees, or allow real people to benefit from virtual online degree programs contained within the game, but the banking crisis experienced by Second Life people can teach valuable lessons about financial markets and banking practices. Interestingly, the crisis experienced in this online game predated an American market decline into a recession.

Students attending a virtual online degree university can’t receive an online degree in accounting. They can, however, learn more about the stock market, safe lending practices, and how sub-prime mortgages and loan interest rates can lead to disaster. This is just another way in which virtual reality can educate the public.

While this game will probably never result in an accredited online university degree program, students can learn valuable life lessons from the time spent in this second reality. Who knows, there may just be some lessons that we can learn from this game in the future that will turn the economy around again!

Online Degree Program Graduates: What to Include on a Resume

Thursday, December 4th, 2008

If you just graduated from a traditional or distance degree program, you’re probably ready to write – or update your resume. How do you know what to include – and what not to share? Here are a few tips to help you get started.

First, leave out any personal information such as your age, height, date of birthday, weight, etc. Don’t, however, omit any contact information that may be helpful to the potential employer – such as address, telephone number, cell phone number, etc.

Use bullet points to highlight resume information. Start with an Objective, which clearly indicates your career goals. Then, list your education. Be sure to list the full name of your traditional or online degree university, as well as the city and state in which it is located. Include the college degree program in which you majored, and the year that you graduated.

When discussing your experience, include past positions that are relevant to the current position for which you are applying, but don’t list every job you ever held, especially if your first job was a paper route when you were 14. While this can be helpful in showing responsibility when you are 22, it does nothing to highlight your degree when you are 44.

List your jobs in reverse chronological order. If you have work experience that is significant to your distance learning degree program, be sure to use words that draw attention to this information. Many employers don’t mind a second page for your resume, but don’t exceed this.

Finally, never lie on your resume. You worked hard to finish this distance education degree, don’t tarnish it with falsehoods. Be careful to spell-check everything thoroughly; mistakes don’t help graduates of traditional or online university degree programs get the job. Give your resume the professionalism it deserves – even consider asking a family member or friend to read through it to be sure that everything is exactly the way you want it. You won’t regret spending the extra few minutes on these important details.

Got your Online Degree? Ready for a Job Interview?

Saturday, November 29th, 2008

Have you graduated from, or will soon graduate from, a traditional or distance learning degree program? Do you know what you’re going to say in response to the interviewer’s questions? Here are a few ideas on what NOT to share with your prospective employer:

First, when asked why you left a previous position, or want to leave your current job, don’t talk about how much you dislike your work, the people with whom you work, and most especially, don’t diss your boss! Businesses are looking for employees who demonstrate respect for authority and management, and showing disloyalty to a former (or potential former) employer won’t endear you to them.

Alternatively, don’t tell your employer that you have no questions for him or her, or that you know nothing about the company to which you have applied. Employers prefer candidates who have done their homework and know a little bit about the business. Find out enough to ask a few intelligent questions just to demonstrate your interest if you do feel you already know all the answers to your questions.

Finally, be able to talk about what motivated you to complete your degree program, and the added benefits your college degree program can bring to your place of employment. If you graduated from an online degree university, share the motivation, dedication, and hard work that it took you to earn a degree online – these qualities are highly desirable in new and experienced employees.

Are you comfortable with the interviewing process, but unsure about what to include on your resume? Stay tuned . . .

Distance Learning Degree Programs: Knowing the Lingo

Thursday, November 20th, 2008

The increasing popularity of distance degrees has resulted in the creation of many new words. Both learners and educators have coined new terms to communicate new concepts and ideas that are completely unique to online degree programs. How well can you speak the distance learning lingo?

Are you familiar with audiographics? This is an audio technology that utilizes phone lines to relay information contained in graphs and charts. Of course, you’ll need a line that can deliver information at a high enough rate of bauds per second to do this. (The standard dial-up modem offers about 56,000 bauds per second.)

Compressed video can also be sent over a phone line; unnecessary information is removed so that the information is transmitted more quickly. Don’t be surprised, though, if you experience lag while watching. (Lag is the time delay that often occurs when these images are being transmitted, making it look as though people in the video are stuttering or taking long pauses between words.)

Even if your online degree program doesn’t involve computer science or networking, you probably are familiar with the Internet and your modem, but you may not be aware that many modern machines operate through mechatronics. (This is the use of software and computer hardware to control a machine’s mechanical functions.)

Other terms you may encounter while working to earn a degree online include twinning, parallel-time coop, or audioconferencing. Does your online degree university use other terms to explain concepts used in its distance education degree program? Share them with our readers today!

Success or Failure: Are you a Good Distance Learning Student

Thursday, November 6th, 2008

Online degree programs sound attractive, convenient, and exciting. But how do you know whether you can make the grade? What kind of student does it take to succeed in distance learning degree programs?

Are you a stay at home mom? Do you have plenty of free time while the children are in preschool or taking their naps? If you’d like to advance your career with an online university degree program, you’re probably an ideal student. Of course, you have to stay motivated to succeed.

Military spouses often make excellent distance degree students. Furthermore, the challenges of moving from place to place with each new tour of duty can make traditional college degree programs difficult, which might give you even more motivation and determination to excel at an online degree university.

Do you have a choice? If you have no transportation, or cannot afford the additional costs of travel and childcare, you may find that distance education degree programs offer you your best chance to earn a college degree. If you don’t see any other alternatives, make the decision to make this option work for you.

If you’re a busy professiona with too little extra time for commuting to class, consider distance learning. But remember: even online degree programs require time and energy. If you don’t set aside some time to learn, you aren’t going to get your degree!

How to Find Free Textbooks For College

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

Next to the cost of college tuition, one of the biggest costs to students at any university degree program is the cost of college textbooks. Most of the time, one semester’s books can cost anywhere between $300 to more than $500 per semester, depending on the type and number of classes a student is taking. If you’re ready to stop shelling out for this exorbitant cost each year, read on!

Did you know that many required readings for English classes today are now available online for free downloading? Most literary classics – and many popularly required novels as well – have been declared public domain, and are free for the downloading. While I am not recommending that you download “War and Peace” from your university’s computer lab, you might find yourself saving money by reading the book online or downloading it to a handheld as an ebook.

Some distance learning degree programs include the cost of textbooks as part of the tuition for all online degree courses. Check with each online degree university to see whether the degree program that interests you offers this option. You might find that you can save a great deal of money by choosing this option.

You can also search online through auction sites for deeply discounted textbooks. Another option is to purchase an older edition of the book at a deeply reduced cost. This works best if you have a friend who has ordered the latest version so that you can compare assignments, etc., to make sure that they are the same. Buying a cheap copy like this for $5 or $10 definitely beats buying a new book for $100 or more!

Have you ever saved a lot of money on a text book, or gotten a great deal from somewhere that I haven’t mentioned? Share it with our readers today!

The Dog Can't Eat Your Homework Now: Distance Degrees

Saturday, August 23rd, 2008

If you’ve decided to go back to school and earn a college degree at home, you may experience a brief culture shock at first. Students who get a degree online often find studying and exams more convenient, but there are challenges unique to distance learning degree programs as well. If you have decided to finish your college degree program through an online university, you should be aware of the unique challenges you may face.

You may often find that deadlines are more flexible than in traditional degree programs. However, you have little recourse if you miss a fixed deadline, such as an online submission or post. Although you can argue that your internet service was down (which can and does occasionally happen), you aren’t going to be able to get away with this excuse very often. So, although the program is flexible, you are expected to take responsibility for your own education.

Furthermore, you are expected to be able to use a computer and email, as well as to take responsibility for learning any other computer applications used by the online degree courses you have chosen. While this may sometimes mean a large learning curve, you must be motivated and determined enough to meet this small challenge, or distance education degree programs aren’t right for you.

Some students also argue that nontraditional education offered by online degree university programs doesn’t offer the “full college experience.” While you can’t play college sports, pledge to a sorority, or go to a homecoming dance, distance learning certainly offers a full range of educational opportunities. Only you can decide which is more important for you; education or socialization.

Computer Forensics: A Distance Learning Bachelor Degree

Thursday, August 14th, 2008

Computer forensics is a relatively new field in which interested, qualified students can earn a bachelor degree online. College degree programs that specialize in forensics offer exciting alternatives in a field that combines computer science with criminal justice. Students who complete an online bachelor degree program in computer science, information technology, technology, or even computer network administration can pursue a career in computer forensics.

Some of the online degree courses that distant learning students pursuing a bachelor degree program in computer forensics are expected to take include those that focus on computer security, viruses, and firewalls. Other classes will discuss issues related to encryption and intrusion detection.

Sometimes people who have strong computer skills enjoy hacking into databases and obtaining information. Sometimes, they do this just to prove that they are able to get past security features enabled by a company’s computer network. Are you one of the people who enjoy the challenge of defeating a business organization’s security system?

If you are, then distance learning degree programs that offer majors in computer forensics may be the perfect use of your skills. Get paid by these companies to try to breach their security features. Better still, outwit and outprogram your rivals so that they cannot breach the security features you establish! You’ll never have to worry about whether you love your job. if this career path sounds interesting, you know you were born to become a Computer Forensics expert. Don’t waste any more time thinking about your education, consult an online degree university that offers this major today!