How Do I Know If an Online University Is Right for Me?

Interest in a Global Perspective – If you’re curious about your profession on an international scale, you will be thrilled with how easily online learning connects you with fellow students from diverse cultures. Online coursework provides many opportunities to collaborate and exchange ideas and experiences with your global counterparts. Your unique position will expose you to an incredible depth of knowledge and insight on an international scale that is certain to enrich your online college experience.

Too Busy to Attend On-Campus Classes – If you’re currently working full time, yet need a degree to advance your career and increase your salary, an online degree program may be the only way you can fit coursework and studying into your busy life. This is excellent motivation for choosing and appreciating the value of an online college degree program.

Your Comfort Level With Computers and Technology – If you regularly use a computer at work and spend your free time shopping online, e-mailing, posting on Facebook, or paying bills, your comfort with computers will make you equally as comfortable learning online, too. There are certain computer system requirements for online courses, so be sure to find out what is required for your chosen online degree coursework.

Being Self-Motivated – Traditional on-campus classes are structured at a set time every week, so you have to attend whether you want to or not. Your professor is there in person as a constant reminder of your obligations and deadlines. By contrast, as an online college student, you’ll need to motivate yourself to do homework and complete assignments on time. Nobody is going to stand over you and make you do it. You’ll have many opportunities to participate in forums with other students in your class and comment on their papers and reports. And you’ll also be able to e-mail your professor with any questions or concerns you may have.

Time Management – If you’re like many working adult students, effectively balancing your time between work and family, online coursework will help set the stage for your success. It’s important to set aside a realistic amount of time to devote to your studies. Even though online degrees are more flexible by design than traditional campus-based degree programs, you still have to make the time to be a good student.

Being Organized – It’s critically important to be organized about your coursework, your homework assignments, and your due dates. You simply can’t perform at your best if you’re writing an important paper at 2 o’clock in the morning after a long day at work. If you don’t have an offline or online organizer (e.g., Microsoft Outlook), be sure to buy one to record your schedule and important due dates.