Finding employment in today’s competitive job market can be challenging. Even entry level positions want to see some college courses at the very least. To get a decent paying job with good benefits, it is almost imperative that you have a college degree.
Traditionally, students spend their senior year in high school taking entrance exams, sending out college applications, and, if they’re smart, looking for scholarships. It’s understood: you graduate and if you ever want a good job, you go to college. That’s it. Do not pass Go. Go directly to jail—sorry, school.
Knowing the kind of competition they are facing for jobs and the very real need to have a job, many young people continue to enroll in a school so they can earn that degree. However, an increasing number of older people who are already in the work force are taking college courses to either advance their careers or change careers completely. They are earning their master’s and doctorate’s later in life to improve both their knowledge and their competitiveness in their chosen fields.
One major problem with college is how expensive it can be to get that degree. Colleges and universities charge for not only tuition, but room and board and books. A much more cost-effective route could be to earn your university degree online. The benefits of earning your degree online are not just limited to the price tag though.
Let’s talk about that price first anyway. Because you are only paying for tuition, you automatically see a savings. Most online programs offer all the materials online, so you do not have the cost of books and because you are taking classes from the comfort of your own home, room and board is free as well.
On the job market, there was a time when an on-line degree meant that your resume went in the trash. The only thing that’s going to put your resume in the bin today is getting a degree from an unaccredited university. Employers really only care that you have a degree and how well you did in your coursework. Choose your program carefully and your online degree is worth just as much as someone who went to classes at the university and incurred crushing debt to do so.
You have so much more flexibility to fit your schoolwork into your schedule with an online program than the traditional college experience. Who wants to be at class at 7:30 in the morning? And how can you do that when you have to be at work at eight? Online degree programs allow you to do the classwork when it suits you. Of course, this means a greater level of personal responsibility is required, but you’re an adult. You can do this.
You also have greater opportunities to find a program that really excites you and fits your goals. If you want a degree in art therapy, there are only a few colleges that offer such a thing. An online university degree program allows you the chance to take courses that would otherwise be geographically impossible.
Once you’ve decided on a program and enrolled, you can earn your degree much faster than in the traditional setting. Often you won’t need to take all those elective courses or the orientation classes. Online degree programs are much more streamlined to accommodate students who are already working and are highly motivated to finish their degrees.
