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Is Getting an Online Degree the Same as Going to Classes
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Is Getting an Online Degree the Same as Going to Classes
In the last decade, the trend towards furthering education online has grown by leaps and bounds. As technology advances at a record pace, it is not only becoming easier to further your education online, but more acceptable. For some, furthering education online is the only way they can get it done.Without any form of higher education, advancement in your career or any real job security is shaky at best. It is almost vital that you continue your education well into your career path. While this sounds like a great idea, it isn’t always practical once you are employed full time, have a family to support and have a life also. When you are fresh out of high school and spending time on a campus taking traditional classes, the responsibilities of the real world may still be off in the distance. However, once you have entered a different chapter in life, it can be virtually impossible to attend traditional classes full time. This is where online degrees and education advancement is not only convenient, but essential.
Most employers understand real world obligations can keep a very motivated and intelligent potential employee from attending the university nearby. They see attending online classes as a way to show initiative and ambition to further their education without compromising their present responsibilities. While in the past some corporate heads may have looked down on an online degree, today they understand how the technology works and how the same requirements are involved.
Furthering your degree online can mean earning an associates degree, a bachelors, a masters and even a doctorate degree just as you do at a traditional college. It also means studying and taking tests just as a traditional college class requires. With instant chats and messaging, you still get the instant interaction and feedback of a traditional classroom. With similar class sizes, study groups, help forums and tutoring can still be a part of an online class. In fact the differences are becoming so obsolete through technology, most respected universities and colleges also offer online classes that can be taken along with their traditional classes. They are conducted in the same manner as an exclusively online school conducts their classes. With video conferencing, the spontaneity and great debates that arise in and add to the essence of a traditional college lecture are still able to happen online.
While the technical aspects of taking classes online may be legitimately the same as taking classes on campus, there are still some detractors who downplay the validity of an online degree. One argument centers on the quality of the student body. Universities and colleges have very distinct admission guidelines and tests. Most online classes do have admission guidelines, but they are not as stringent as traditional colleges. There are minimal admission tests and past academic requirements. Although many people may use this fact to admonish the credibility of online degrees, it is important to remember that just because you can easily be admitted to a school does not mean you can pass or graduate easily. Many traditional universities may allow admission to less than stellar students based on ability to pay or family legacy standings, but that does mean they can make the grade. Regardless of how or why you get into a university, virtual or not, it is the quality of your work that determines if you succeed.
Even though there will always be people who view an online degree with a bit of disdain, for the most part people are seeing the lines blurred. More and more people are doing everything online that requires skill, knowledge and ingenuity. A large number of people now work from home online and earn a credible living. They are not seen as less employed because they work online. Everything from banking and shopping is done from home online. The internet is now a valuable resource for children as young as preschool age to learn. Getting a degree online will soon be seen as a natural and legitimate way to use technology that we are already using for everything else.
