The spectrum of offerings for online education is quite a long one. From the most popular online degrees and courses to the alternatives to online degrees, there is a whole bunch of choices that might dizzy the new online learner. It’s normal, I guess – given that there a lot of options to choose from, it’s only practical to find out how to best decide. Here are 4 ways to go about choosing an online education:
Online Education Tip #1: Consider time and cost
One way to figure out how to select a program offering is to first consider the amount of time one is willing to devote to it and the costs that you are willing to take in. If you have lots of time and have ample monetary resources then an online degree might be a good choice. If you’re only a casual learner, and is only willing to schedule a few hours a week to a subject, then personal development courses might be more appropriate. If you have lots of time but have problems regarding the cost, then a technical-vocational course might be more to your liking. On the other hand, if you have some money but is only considering some time off, a certificate course is a suggested route. A non-vocational course would be a good suggestion if you want something that’s light on the pocket but provide academic units that could be credited to an online degree.
Online Education Tip #2: Consider the future
Ask yourself about your reasons for having an online education. Do you want to shift careers and want a solid degree to back you up? Enroll in an online degree. If a certificate is enough, and you have a specific interest or niche that you want to have credentials in, then take a certificate course. If you’re a more practical person and want to learn a new skill set or trade that you could use as a career alternative, enroll in a technical course. If you want the benefit of some academic units while saving on some costs, a non-vocational course is the way to go. Casual learners, as the usual case would suggest, are suggested to just enroll in personal development courses.
Online Education Tip #3: Consider your interests
Another line of thought that you could pursue is to find out where your interests lie. Very specific and competency-intensive interests are usually found in technical-vocational courses, while broader curricula can be found for personal development courses. If professional research is your cup of tea, taking a non-vocational course or pursuing for a straight online degree can be good choices.
Online Education Tip #4: Consider the credentials that you want
If you’re a career shifter or want to increase the viability of your resume, it’s always a safe bet to go for an online degree than a certificate course. If you already have some credentials in the field and only need additional recommendations for specific subfields, then a certificate course or a non-vocational course with academic units could be worthy choices. If you’re not really after professional credentials, then go for personal development courses. It is also good to note that technical-vocational courses also lead to some accreditation, given the trade jobs and consulting work that they lead to.
These are just some recommendations to the would-be online learner and are useful to prepare for an online education. Can you think of anything else that could help a person choose an online course? Be sure to post them in the comments.
