Back to College: First Steps

The Online College Adviser is back with some first steps to consider when heading back to school. However, before we begin, I'd like to share something with you. One of my favorite quotes to think about when starting something new is this:

If you're not sure where you're going,
how will you know when you've arrived?

This is especially important as you move toward the completion of your college degree. Going back to school involves doing quite a bit of thinking about where you are right now in your life and where you hope to be in the future. Here are some suggestions for how to start that process. First of all, consider the following questions:

1. What kind of job/career are you aiming for? How important is salary? job stability? job availability? flexibility? When you start to do research, you need to keep in mind what you need and what you are willing to sacrifice. When exploring career options, tools like Monster.com’s Education and Career Advice services can provide current information about today's job market. Whether you choose to stay in your current field or branch out into a new field, make sure that you do your research. Talk to people who are currently in the field. Ask them what they like about the field and what they don’t like. Most importantly, ask them about opportunities for advancement and what kind of training or education is usually expected and/or required.

2. What kind of degree/training do you need in order to meet the industry requirements for that job/career? Again, talking to people in the field is a great way to start gathering information. You can also go online to websites such as Salary.com and see how your experience and educational background compare with current market standards. Most people find that some type of degree is required or highly recommended in order to get jobs higher than entry level. In certain fields, a degree is often required even at the entry level. So make sure to spend enough time doing your career research before you actually start looking at programs or schools.

3. How soon do you need your degree? Some schools specialize in accelerated degree programs and offer degrees or training in as little as 3 months. Too good to be true? Some of the offers are (a topic which I will cover in another post), but the good news is that some programs can actually deliver legitimate degrees in relatively short periods of time. Many of these involve taking and passing numerous tests in order to satisfy certain degree requirements. Schools like Excelsior College will allow large numbers of courses to be “covered” in that way. These tests are basically like comprehensive final exams, and as long as you pass the tests, you are demonstrating that you have the knowledge which those courses are designed to cover. Another common way to get a degree faster is by choosing a school which offers accelerated courses. A whole course may be delivered in a few weeks, a system which presents tremendous amounts of information in a short time, but allows students to focus on only one course at a time. Be aware that these types of options exist, and make sure to ask about them.

4. Do you have any work training certificates or transfer credits which may apply? This goes hand in hand with point #3. One of the best ways to “speed up” your degree is to take full advantage of what you have already done before and try to get credit for that. For example, if you have taken training courses (such as continuing education units), or if you hold industry licenses, some schools may be willing to give you some academic credit for them. This also holds true for military training. And of course, if you have taken courses at a community college or trade school, it makes sense to find out if any of those courses will transfer. I’ll talk more about tips for transferring in another post, but for now make a mental note to find out about the possibility of transfer credits or work-based training credits as you explore different schools.

5. Are you interested in online (virtual) classes, in-class (traditional, a.k.a. physical) classes, or hybrid classes (a combination of in-class and online elements)? This question gets at the heart of how you want to receive your education or training. One of the most common points to consider is whether you have what it takes to succeed with online classes. A good resource to check your online learning readiness is a short survey developed by Ball State University. The survey brings up a number of key issues such as availability of a new (or relatively new) computer, high speed internet service, comfort level using a computer and learning to operate new software, ability to be a self-starter and self-motivator and so forth. If you are well organized and good at figuring things out and getting things done, then online learning could be a perfect option for you. On the other hand, if you need to have the support of a teacher in close proximity or want to actually see and physically interact with classmates, then a traditional learning environment may be a better choice. Last, but not least, be aware that many programs allow the flexibility of doing both, where students come together once a week (or once a month) and submit assignments or have discussions using online tools such as discussion boards and chat rooms. These hybrid courses provide the best of both worlds to students.

6. What is your budget? Contrary to popular belief, online education costs are comparable to costs of traditional programs. In fact, sometimes online degrees can have significantly higher tuition and fees than programs offered on a physical “bricks and mortar” campus. Many schools offer different types of financial assistance, from grants to scholarships to loans, but there may be limitations on how much you can qualify for or receive. I could do another post on financing your education (so be on the lookout for that), but right now you will need to determine how much you are willing to pay. Most programs will refer to cost in terms of credit hours. A typical college or university course is worth at least three (3) credit hours, although some may be worth more or less. So, to determine how much you will pay for a class, let's imagine that, at a private university, Program X’s tuition is listed as $510 per credit. A quick calculation shows that $510 x 3 credits = $1530 for one class. A public school or community college may be significantly cheaper, like $50 per credit which equals $150 per three-credit class. Of course, fees and books are generally not included, so don’t forget to figure those expenses in as well. Other expenses which are commonly overlooked include travel or transportation expenses, parking, childcare, and other school-related materials. Make sure that you are financially prepared to pay for your educational investment.

After you have spent some time determining your answers to those questions, you will be ready to start looking at possible schools and programs. For my next post, the Online College Adviser will look at important points to consider when actually choosing your new college or university.

In the meantime, please check out the resources that I have put together at the Online College Adviser’s resource website. You'll find a number of links to help you get your feet wet and start to explore what a tremendous number of programs and options are available.

Onward and upward!

Look for my next post: All About Accreditation