Engineering Degree Online | Let’s get personal…

Posted by bposton on November 14th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

I got an interesting note stuck to the online degree dorm room door last night.

It read ‘ “Can you tell us a little more about yourself, Ben?”

Hummm. well, I kinda like my privacy. Actually that’s one reason I’m here promoting the online degree programs. In my opinion, you can keep things a little more private with an online class than one in a traditional classroom.

You don’t have sit in a 200 seat lecture hall, and you don’t have to worry about how you look (not that I worry much about that anyway :-) )

And you can keep a lower profile - if you want to. Just make sure that you are responsive in your online classes and discussions. You can’t hide in the back in an online class - the prof can see how much you’re contributing in the online chats and discussions that class is having. So make sure you speak out, and speak your mind. But you don’t have to tell them what shampoo you used last night, either.

But in the event that you really MUST know a little more about me. I’ll give you these juicy details:

1. I live in North Carolina (if you’ve been reading the posts you already know that)

2. I have a family. A wife and 3 daughters (I’m blessed!!!)

3. I’m re-living my college days through my daughters :-) OK not true…well kinda true…

4. One daughter in college, another one starting next fall, and another the fall after that!

(OWE is me!!)

I’m pretty convinced that an online degree is NOT the right thing for them. But I will be talking to the oldest about attending a graduate school online. That’s where the biggest bang for the buck is right now. But who knows? In a couple of years my youngest could be sitting at home attending a online class…as long as she cleans her room first :-)

Enough about me - let’s talk about YOU - and how YOU can get a degree online that’s right for you and your goals!

Ben 

, , , , ,

No Comments »

Engineering Degree Online | Planning for College

Posted by bposton on November 14th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

If you’re the average college bound high school senior, you have a lot of thing so think about besides ordering your cap and gown and getting a date to the prom.

You need to also be thinking about college - a lot :-)

Such as - What major should I choose? (that’s always a big one), Should I stay in state or try forthat school of my dreams that happens to be thousands of miles away? What are my options in terms of financial aid?

Of course, another question you can also ask yourself these days is - should I be on campus, off-campus, or…

online???

Most high school guidance counselors probably don’t recommend online schools, but you need to know that they are an option.

Yes, you can argue that you’ll “miss out” on the whole “college dorm life” thing, but let me tell you - life in the online degree dorm room is pretty sweet :-)

No roomates to wake you up in the middle of the night. No running to the next class after missing the bus on a rainy day…

…you get the idea, right?

However, either which way you go, you still need to think about planning for college. Here are some of the steps in that process:

Preparation - searching for and choosing the right college, including entrance exams, selecting the major, ect

Selection - Planning camous visits and finalizing on your major (at least the one you think you want to head for at this point). This is when you should also consider online degree programs as well.

Application - Applying for admission. This is a very important and often under-planned step. Applications can take a long time especially if they require essays or “personal statments”. And there are always deadlines for getting them in, along with your SAT, ACT scores and transcripts from high school. A college interview may also be required, espacially when a scholarship is involved.

Decision - Sorting through all those acceptance letters and deciding which college is best for you.
Payment - Applying for financial aid, work-study programs, education loans. scholarships and more.

So if you following this planning process, you have a much better chance of finding the right school, submiting the best application possible and developing a sound strategy to pay for it all.

Ben

, , , , ,

No Comments »

Engineering Degree Online | A Three Part Primer about Online Degrees - Part 3

Posted by bposton on November 9th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

Here’s part three of my quick primer on taking online courses or getting a
degree online.

So, what’s it really like taking an online class?

OK, here’s the deal.

There are basically two types of online classes. The first kind of class taking is call
asynchronous - a techie term that means the class is not actually scheduled. The professor
will set a particular deadline for assignments and tests, but then you work on your own through
the lessons, anytime you want to - day or night, just so long as you get the assignments and tests
done by the time they are due.

Then there’s the other kind of class-taking which is labled synchronous. This is when both the students and
the professor log in to a website at regular, preset times for online discussion about what the subject matter might be.

Either way, this is way different from going to an actual classroom. No desks with bubble gum under them :-)
no way to raise your hand. And no heavy book bags (that’s my favorite).

However, since most classes use technology like instant messaging, online video lectures, etc an online
class can be every just as interesting and engaging.

Think you’ll miss the classroom environment? Well, if you enroll in an online degree program offered by
a school near where you live, you might be able to attend some of the classroom lectures.

But my guess is you won’t miss a thing.

Actually, a lot of students have said that taking a course online is more challenging than a traditional class.

That’s because it requires more disipline to log in regularly to complete your assignment than getting to a traditional
class, especially where the workload is often bunched around tests and writing assignments.

And you can’t hide quietly in the back of the classroom when you haven’t done the assignment. The comments made in the online chats and posts on the website will tell the professor actively engaged you are.

So it is different, but in a very good way.

Think about it this way - where else can you show up for class in your pajamas and unwashed hair and not worry what
your classmates think of you? :-)

Ben

, , , , ,

No Comments »

Engineering Degree Online|A degree in less than a year???

Posted by bposton on November 3rd, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

Is it really possible to start from nowhere and earn a bachelor’s degree in less than a year?

Actually, yes.

And I mean a legitimate degree from a legit university - not a diploma mill :-)

Notice I said “possible” - not “easy”

But you can do it - but you’ll have to be a darn good test-taker, and spend a lot time on this.

Of course it helps to already have some credits under your belt too.

First up, look for a college that will accept unlimited credit, and gives credit for an assessment of your portfolio, as well has credit for testing.

Before you go off and spend a couple of weeks looking for such a college, I can tell you that they’re rare.

Very rare.

But here are three that do actually meet this criteria:

· Thomas Edison State College (New Jersey)

· Excelsior College (New York)

· Charter Oak State College (Connecticut)

What’s unique about these 3 colleges is that they have no minimum residency requirements, and if you play your cards right you won’t even have to take any classes. That’s because you can earn enough credits for college throught the following means:

1) portfolio assessment
2) examination
3) any units that you may already have.

Again, these are legit colleges, but you need to make sure they have the program that meets your needs.

But if you already have some credits, and have taken some CLEP tests or other exams that earn credit, you should
consider them in your search.

Ben

, , , , ,

No Comments »