Furthering your education can be very stressful. Everybody knows tuition costs in this country are extortionate. The average working person has literally no way of going back to college or university without re-mortgaging their house. If you are in dire financial straits but want to make a positive change and boost your education, despite what you may think you do have options. Learning what these options are can be difficult, however, as there is not a lot of information about this subject online. Don’t worry though as this post will tell you everything you need to know:
Online Course Providers
Colleges, universities and schools charge extortionate tuition fees. Many American citizens are currently protesting the amount that’s charged to get a good degree in this country. Unless you are an extremely wealthy individual it is unlikely you will be able to take a course in a brick-and-mortar college; however, just because you are not able to afford to study in person does not for a second mean you cannot still study. There are literally thousands of online course providers offering the same degrees and diplomas offered by universities and colleges.
If you are interested in taking an online course then the very first thing you need to do is identify what you want to study. Once you have an idea of what kind, of course, you want to take you can decide on a qualification level, i.e., associate degree, masters or PhD. You can easily find cheap associate degrees with online studying on the internet. Higher-level qualifications are also available but they tend to command a lot more of people’s time. If you work a full-time job then a master’s degree or PhD might not be compatible with your schedule.
Devoting Time to Studying
Unless you are fully devoted to your chosen online course you will fail. It is impossible to achieve success of any kind if you are not totally dedicated to that which you are studying. While online courses do demand a lot less commitment from students, commitment is still a requirement. A lot of individuals think they can take these courses without ever really pushing themselves, but that is not the case. While they are considerably cheaper than in-person courses they can still be expensive, so wasting time and not committing yourself is just a waste of money.
Devoting time to studying while working a full-time job and balancing adult life can be difficult. However, just because something’s difficult does not for a second mean that it is impossible. You can quite effectively study while working if you plan ahead and schedule in study time on weekday evenings and on the weekends. Ideally, find a course that offers flexible learning. A flexible course will be a lot easier for you to stick to if you are currently in employment. Such courses have recorded lectures which are sent to students at the end of each week, rather than lectures that have to be attended.
Local Community College
An alternative to taking online courses is to visit your local community college and see what kind of courses they are offering. A community college course might not be as prestigious or beneficial to your career advancement but it can still be a good way of getting more knowledge about specific subjects. The good thing about community colleges is that they allow independent tutors to come in and lead courses meaning there is always lots on offer; you can find courses in almost anything at community college from business to ancient Chinese history and even journalism.
The only problem with community college is that it’s not free. The courses offered are generally very affordable though. Another issue many students encounter when planning on taking a community college course is that they tend to be very rigid, meaning unless you can come in the evenings after work, you can’t take the course. These courses are not flexible and do not allow for online learning. You either attend in person and learn with everybody else or you do not get to learn at all.
Work-related Diplomas
If you only want to take courses so that you can increase your chances of getting a promotion at work then you might be able to learn while working. Some companies offer work-related diplomas. These diplomas open up new internal pathways, allowing employees to advance their careers and qualify for promotions and pay raises. These diplomas and accreditations are offered by many companies it is just that employees seldom pursue them, usually because of laziness or a lack of motivation. Taking a course at work will make you more attractive to employers and show them that you are a determined and capable individual.
It does need to be noted, most companies offering diplomas and work courses will ask their employees to study in part at home. The vast majority of an individual’s studies will take place at work but home studying is a requirement just so employees can brush up on things they did not have the time to go over in the office when they were being taught. An advantage to this kind, of course, is that they are usually paid and employees are not required to pay for the courses themselves, they are offered free of charge.
Tuition Funding from Work
One last thing to think about is tuition funding. Some employers actually give employees the opportunity to get funding for courses, provided the courses are relevant to what they do for a living. Speak to your company’s HR department about this as they will be able to give you more information. Not all companies offer tuition funding so do not feel disheartened if yours does not. You may be able to make a special request to your company’s CEO if your organization does not give tuition funding, again providing that the course you want to take is relevant to your job and will help you to grow as an employee. Growth as an employee is essential. Until you grow and improve your skills you will never be in line for a promotion or provide anything of substance to the company that employs you.
Furthering one’s education can be a liberating experience. Most adults kick themselves for not studying more when they were young. If you are one such individual then taking an online course can be a good way of improving your education and growing as a person.