Should You Get Your Degree Online?

Choosing a college — and your degrees — is a big decision. Whether you’re going to college for the first time, or continuing your education later on in your life, there are a lot of choices you need to make, from financial to time commitments to potential moving and housing costs. 

You might look into colleges with free laptops if you do not own a computer yourself. Many colleges, both traditional schools, and online schools offer free laptops as part of tuition or allow a student to borrow a laptop for the term of enrollment. If you prefer to purchase your own equipment, enrolling in a college program gets you the benefit of a student discount, which many major retailers will honor. 

Having a college degree is necessary for many fields, but do companies differentiate between an online degree and a traditional college diploma? Not really, it seems. With a properly accredited school, a degree proves that you put in the work and now have the educational background — and expertise — to jump into a career in your chosen profession.

The Benefits Of An Online Degree

Let’s face it, everyone is busy all the time. Between juggling a day job, family, sports, pets, social events, holidays, volunteering, and everything else, it can be hard to figure out where school fits in if you’re continuing your education. Do you have time to go to in-person classes three times a week? Can you adjust your schedule or your work hours to fit in school on top of all your other commitments?

If you can, that’s spectacular — but if you can’t, not to fret! Choosing to take online college courses to earn your degree is now easier than ever. An online college degree provides you with a flexible schedule, and you can study from the comfort of your home. There are also online colleges that offer free laptops or iPads to students to assist with virtual learning. 

With the boom of virtual learning and school courses pivoting to online, many degrees are now available for much cheaper online than in a traditional school. An online platform saves you money on transportation, you can balance taking time off work to attend classes more easily, and you can even get many of your textbooks as ebooks at a more cost-effective price point (or even free). 

The accessibility of online degrees also means they are more affordable and accessible to marginalized students who might not be able to afford a traditional college. For example, disabled students may have an easier time with an online course, especially if a traditional college campus is not ADA-compliant.

People who are working multiple jobs, folks who have small kids, people who are carers for elderly family members, or folks who are working overnights can also benefit from the flexibility of online schooling. Recorded lectures allow for studying at your own pace and taking notes — especially if you want to re-watch or listen to the lecture to better absorb the materials. 

So whether you’re going to school for the first time or looking to switch careers and get a new degree, online colleges offer great opportunities for any student, anywhere.