Whether you are a recent graduate looking to take the next step in your education or already a professional looking to gain an advantage in a competitive workforce, you know that education is the way to advance your career. When choosing the right program, degree, and field of study, it is equally important to decide whether a traditional or an online education is optimal for you. Consider an investment in an online education – it could just be the perfect route to the next step towards a rewarding, lucrative, and promising career.
How an Online Degree May be Right for You
1. Career – You are a busy professional with a full schedule. At the same time, you know you want to advance in your career without having to quit your job. Of course, there is no doubt that a degree program requires time, commitment, and effort. However, online classes allow you to combine the responsibilities of earning a living with the opportunity for career advancement.
2. Flexibility – You need the flexibility of being able to study from a distance, without the rigidity associated with traditional class schedules. With an online education, you can study any time you have a computer and internet access. Whether in the middle of the night, before work, on lunch break, or even on the couch in your pajamas. Of course, studying requires your effort and commitment – but with an online degree, you have the choice of when, how, and where you study.
3. Balance – You have family and personal responsibilities that are your top priority. If you have kids to drop off at school in the morning, a job to do all day long, and a home to run in the evening – not to mention a personal life that each of us needs and deserves – it can be difficult to commit to a class meeting every week at the same time. Life just doesn’t run that way sometimes. An online degree permits you the ability to balance your priorities. You can tailor your educational responsibilities to fit around your other life priorities, while still moving toward a brighter future.
4. Personal attention – Students who take online courses have the opportunity to speak with their instructors whenever they need to ask specific questions or just check in to review something. With the advent of online classes, the crowded lecture halls and faceless contact between students and teachers is a thing of the past. Today, especially in online classes, it is not necessary to wait for office hours or the next class period – students can send an email, chat online, or Skype their instructors to discuss their questions and concerns. This personal attention encourages each student to share and interact in order to further his or her learning, and ensures that each student knows that ultimately, the classes and the teachers are there to educate.
5. Choose Your Approach – An online degree allows you a more student-centered teaching approach. Each individual has his or her way of learning. Some people learn better visually or have a photographic memory, while others may more easily process information they hear in lectures. Still others find a hands-on approach to be best and find they learn best when they work collaboratively in groups. Whatever your learning style preference or predilection, online education can help ensure that each lesson or every new piece of material is understood optimally before you move onto the next. This flexibility allows each student an ideal learning process – so you have significant input into your own progress and achievements.
6. Cost savings and environmentally friendly – Achieving your degree through an online program allows you to pursue a high-quality education without having to commute, which is not only friendly for your pocketbook but also a responsible choice for the environment. In addition, it is useful to compare costs of traditional and online educational programs. For students on a budget, online courses can often save you money both in tuition and associated costs.
7. Time savings – In today’s busy world, having yet another appointment to commute to can be a hassle and waste of time. You have professional, family, and personal responsibilities already, making it difficult to find sufficient time to do your reading or finish assignments. Why make a commute that eats up a chunk of your day? Online classes eliminate the need for spending needless time commuting to and from class – freeing up valuable time you can use to study.
8. Networking Opportunities – Time and again you hear that finding a job is often not just about what you know, but who you know. One of the greatest benefits of an online education is that you have the opportunity to interact with and build relationships with many students, often from other areas of the state or country, whose networks extend broader than your own. This can come in very handy when you are looking for your next career opportunity. You can serve as references for each other and even learn about job opportunities that you did not know existed. Your project partner may even help you find your next job.
Jump-start Your Career with an Online Education from Florida National University
Florida National University (FNU) offers online programs for Associates, Bachelors, and Master degrees. At the Associates level, FNU offers degrees in Accounting (AA or AS), Business Administration (AA or AS), Criminal Justice, Education, Health Services Administration, Public Administration, Paralegal Studies, Computer Development, and Computer Information Technology.
At the Bachelor’s level, FNU offers online programs in Legal Studies, Accounting, Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Health Services Administration, and Nursing. At the Masters level, FNU offers a Master of Business Administration. The University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award Associates, Baccalaureate (Bachelors), and Master degrees.
Online Education – An Investment in Yourself
Why wait? An investment in online education is an investment into your career prospects, your professional fulfillment, and your earning potential. Ultimately, investing in your education is an investment in yourself – and there is no better moment than now. Contact FNU’s academic advisors today to find out more about all the options available to you in online education!
