The Online Degree Dorm Room

online degree programs psychology | Something new…

Posted by bposton on May 6th, 2008 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

Hello my dorm room buddy

Hope all is well and your exams didn’t blow your mind…

I came across this story this other day and thought it was quite interesting.

Most universites know how to reach out new students, Tiffin University is doing something no other school has tried:

They create an online college just to get students to its school.

Ivy Bridge College is an online-only school developed and run by Tiffin University
offering associate degrees which can open up doors to a four-year degree at Tiffin
and other schools.

Just what is Tiffin?

Well, they are an independent, coeducational institution that has been educating
students since 1888, and they’ve achieved national recognition for its accredited
on-campus and online courses.

Tiffin’s Ivy Bridge program is designed particularly to help students who need extra
academic assistance to succeed and will team students with coaches who will monitor
their progress.

Specifically, Ivy Bridge College offers:

Log On Anytime. Students can log on to take classes at any time, setting their own
schedule, and completing the program in as little as 20 months.

Connection with teachers and students. The school is encouraging email contact with
teachers, news group discussions, online chats, and office hours. Students will be
able to connect with each other as well.

A planned path. Ivy Bridge has agreements in place with Tiffin University and dozens
of other colleges and universities throughout the United States. These agreements
make it easier for students to be accepted into and to transfer credits to four-year
institutions once they have completed their Ivy Bridge degree.

Earn a highly prized degree. Ivy Bridge students will earn a Tiffin University degree,
which is authorized by the Ohio Board of Regents and accredited by the North Central
Association of Colleges and Schools Commission (NCA) and by the Association of
Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

Applications for new students is currently under way, so if you’re still just thinking about starting with an online course - stop thinking and start doing!

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online degree programs psychology | another online degree success story

Posted by bposton on April 16th, 2008 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

Hey my online degree dorm room buddy:

Here’s a great story about Stefanie Lund, 33, of Gulf Port, Miss.

She had all but given up on her dream to earn a college degree.

If fact, Stef has been through an awful lot, such as surviving Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, a colorectal cancer syndrome that ultimately led to a full colectomy.

Not to mention the fact that she move 37 times after high school.

But now this 33 year old mother of 3 has finally found a way to a better future — through Flint-based Baker College Online.

“Baker Online changed everything,” she said. “No matter how bad I felt, I could keep doing it … and when I left New Jersey for Georgia and then to Mississippi, I could take college with me.”

Now, after a packed day of homeschooling her children, she does her own classwork sometimes as late as 4 a.m.

No re-applying for financial aid, no re-doing credits, just re-connecting to the Internet.

Lund started pursuing her online degree at Baker in 2005 after reading about the program on the Internet. Now she’s two years away from a bachelor’s degree in marketing. After studying business through Baker, she has also become a jewelry merchant, runs a wholesale home decor business and works as a Baker Online tutor.

Lund is among the growing number of students at the Flint-based Baker Online program, who has seen their online student population increase from 2,900 students in 2005 to 4,700 students in 2007.

Now that’s what I call a great online degree success story!

Hey Stef - you’re welcome at our dorm room anytime!

Ben

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online degree programs psychology | economy goes down, degree search goes up

Posted by bposton on March 5th, 2008 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

Ahhhhh…

Spring Break…..

So I decided to take some time during the break to do a little research, and here’s what i found.

(I thought it was very interesting…)

It seems that every time the U.S. economy starts to fail, the search for college degree programs increases.

According to a February 21, 2008 Conference Board report, the US leading economic index steadily decreased between October 2007 and January 2008.

And during that same period, resources for online degrees showed an increase in visitors. Some, like SchoolsGalore.com, experienced a whopping 27% increase in visitors searching for higher education.

So this proves that our national labor force identifies a need to be better educated at times when the US economy seems to be slipping.

It can also be seen as those that have put off getting their degree have gotten a wake-up call from the rush of forclosures and stock market declines.

:-(

It’s a well know fact that the competition for good jobs is extremely tight, even more so in a falling economy. A college degree is always highly regarded by employers. In fact, a college degree is almost always required to qualify for employment these days. There is little room for the uneducated laborer without college level credentials.

So hang in there, get that degree, or - if you haven’t started yet, today’s economy is proof that now is good time to get going!
 

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online degree programs psychology | financial aid to get your degree online

Posted by bposton on January 14th, 2008 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

So, you want to start the New Year by going back to school and getting or finishing your degree online, right?

Alot of folks have this same goal, but they often put it on hole when holiday bills start rolling in.

Did you know that the average American household has about $10,000 in credit card debt? And a lot of that is left over from holiday spending. So this is can be a major hurdle stopping you from fullfilling your New Year’s resolution to get your degree. 

But there is hope…

eLearners.com, a resource of EducationDynamics that connects students to online education, has introduced one of the most robust financial aid resources on the web, the eLearners Student Loans and Financial Aid Center.

This center provides prospective students like you with an up-to-date database of more than 2.4 million scholarships
totaling $15 billion in financial aid.

One of the most unique features of eLearners.com is The Debt-Free College Guide which can give students over 500 debt-free financing options, including:

Grants
Tax incentives
Scholarships
And the most comprehensive list of loan forgiveness programs on the Internet

eLearners.com’s Student Loans and Financial Aid Center helps prospective and current students identify
and understand financing options for higher education. In addition to detailed information about financial aid,
loan consolidation and employer tuition assistance programs, visitors can also find a loan-buying guide that eLearners.com built in collaboration with The Greentree Gazette. The site allows prospective students to compare more than 300 student loans by loan vendor, type, up-front fees and interest rate.

So check out eLearners.com’s Student Loans and Financial Aid Center. It could very well be the what you’re looking for to get going with your online degree this year.

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online degree programs psychology | An online degree refresher course for the Holidays

Posted by bposton on December 22nd, 2007 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

Happy Holidays to all my online degree dorm roommates!!

With all your money going to Christmas gifts, textbooks for the next sememster, and gas, your money can stretch thin this time of year. Why not save some traveling cash by taking one or more online courses?

Here’s quick refresher course about online degrees:

You’ve seen the ads that say “Get your degree online”, but have you thought about what it means to school through an online program?

Online education, (also called distance learning and online learning), refers to taking classes over the Internet, usually using a course management system. For the most part, if you sign up for an online class, you will have access to a secure Web site with a course syllabus, reading materials, lectures, course materials discussion rooms and more. As long as your school and program are accredited, you are taking a real class, with a legitimate professor and genuine classmates.

Online education often appeals to working professionals, military personnel, and busy parents. Because you can access your class materials through the Internet, you can take your course virtually anywhere. You can login at the office during your lunch break, e-mail your professor from the airport and check your grades from your PDA.

There are different types of online education. The first is self-paced, which means that, so long as you complete your course within a certain period of time (usually 6,9 or 12 months), you can progress through your work as quickly or as slowly as you’d like. This type of online education is a great option if your schedule varies widely and the time you can dedicate to your course work is unpredictable.

“Asynchronous” courses are classes that do not require you to login in at a specific time, but require that your work be completed at a deadline assigned by the professor. This type of class is a great option for people whose learning style requires a balance of flexibility and structure. Either type allows you to fit your coursework into your busy lifestyle.

Taking classes online can help you freshen your skills and stay competitive in your industry, which helps you move up the ladder and negotiate a higher salary (or a bigger raise). Online education provides you with a way of keeping your professional goals in sight without disrupting your life.

So, save gas, and take online classes in 2008!

See you next year!

Ben
 

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online degree programs psychology | Penn State offers online Psychology degree

Posted by bposton on November 24th, 2007 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

OK, my little dorm room buddies, this is it.

This is the news I’ve been waiting for. For the first time ever, a public university is offering online psychology degrees.

Beginning this month, Penn State will open admission to its bachelor of arts (BA) and bachelor of science (BS) degrees in
psychology to online degree students. Students can begin applying to the program later this month, and courses begin in summer 2008.

The program is from the University’s College of the Liberal Arts and delivered through Penn World Campus.

This is HUGH!!

Why? - Because it;s PENN STATE, that’s why…

Penn State College of the Liberal Arts educates more than 5,000 undergraduates in 43 majors and over 800 graduate
students in 16 programs, in addition to being the largest provider of courses for Penn State World Campus.

The World Campus at Penn State specializes in adult online education, delivering more than 60 of Penn State’s most highly regarded graduate, undergraduate and professional education programs through convenient online formats.

It was founded in 1998, and now serves more than 7,000 students in all 50 states, 43 countries, and on 7 continents.

And now they’ve added two online psychology degrees–a bachelor of arts (BA) and a bachelor of science (BS) in psychology. 

The BA program is geared towards professionals who want to pursue psychology with a focus on the human-services aspects of the field, or plan to continue on to a master’s degree in psychology. The BS program follows a business track–for professionals interested in psychology-driven aspects of business–such as human resources, management, leadership development, and marketing.

As with all of Penn State’s online programs, the new psychology degrees are designed to empower working adults to
pursue life and career-enhancing higher education without sacrificing personal or professional time.

This is definitely a milestone for online education; the first public university offering of online psychology degrees.

Hat’s off to Penn State!!
 

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online degree programs psychology | How to make sure your online degree is worth the value

Posted by bposton on September 6th, 2007 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

Thinking about getting an online degree, but need one fast?

Then you better watch out for the diploma mills. 

Here’s how to make sure the degree your get won’t be worthless…

Everybody want’s things now, and a degree is no exception. There are a lot of ways to get a degree online in what I call the “fast-track” method.

You need to be aware of the fact that the most common fast-track degrees that can be earned with a minimum cost are something called “Life Experience” degrees. With these types of degrees, you gain credit for what you have learned in your job or any past experience.

But be wary. There are some of these “Life Experience” degree programs come with zero hour courses, and every others that allow you to complete the degree requirements in just a few days. Proceed with extreme caution. Many (if not most) of the diploma mills are issuing Life Experience degrees. Which are bascially worthless.

Although there are some online degree programs that count in you life experience, the credits from these life experience may just a small part of the total credit hours needed to complete the degree program.

Here’s an easy rule of thumb - if it is too easy to get a degree, then it really is not worth the paper it is printed on.

In order to protect yourself from the diploma mill scam and ensure your degree is worth the value, consider of taking a degree program that:

     * Require at least two years to complete the degree.

    * Come from a university that is listed in accreditation database of CHEA.org

    * Followes degree courses and either do not give andy credit, or only minimal credit  for your life experience.

    * is Offered by reputable university that have many good or positive feedbacks from online forums, or discussion boards.

If you’re even slightly suspicious about on any of the degree program you look at, then it’s better to drop it from your list then taking the risk to enroll it. You should be able to find the same online degree program from a prestige and reputable university.

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online degree programs psychology | Drexel and Johnson Controls announce educational partnership

Posted by bposton on December 22nd, 2006 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

Another corporate educational parternship was announced yesterday by Drexel University.

This time it’s with Johnson Controls, a global leader in automotive technology, building efficiency and power solutions.

As part of this partnership arrangement, Johnson Controls employees will have the opportunity to complete an online degree or certificate program through Drexel and receive special tuition rates.

Very cool

These employees will have a pretty wide choice of degrees and certificates as well. Employees will be able to choose from a range of bachelor’s, master’s, and certificate programs that Drexel offers online in areas such as nursing and health professions, clinical research, public health, information science, business, computer science, communications, and computing technology.

Just some facts about Drexel. They are a winner of the 2006 21st Century Best Practice Award for Distance Learning from the U.S. Distance Learning Association, and ranked among the Best National Universities in “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report for 2007. And, of course, they are accredited by the Middle States Association for Colleges and Secondary Schools.

Not only that, but its curricula hold the highest accreditations from their respective accrediting bodies such as AACSB (Business), NLN and CCNE (Nursing), and ALA (Information Science).

Drexel University Online has been expanding its partner network for the past four years. Through a partnership with Drexel, participating corporations, health systems, and professional associations across the U.S. can offer their employees and members special tuition rates and career development opportunities, as well as the chance to earn a degree - all with the flexibility working professionals need. Drexel’s online programs are specifically designed to provide adult learners with the convenience they need to advance their skills on their own schedule.

So, good news if you’re an employee of Johnson Controls, and hats off (again!) to Drexel.

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online degree programs psychology | How to get out of debt if you’re in

Posted by bposton on December 22nd, 2006 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

I supposed that before I go much farther ranting on about the tremedous amount of college debt most students take on, that I should offer some suggestions on how to get out of debt.

No, I’m not a financial planner, but I did stay at a holiday inn express last night

Anyway, here are some tips that I’ve learned from the real financial folks on how to whittle down the debt after you get out of college - or even before:
Numero Uno - Set Up A Budget

In my opinion this is the first and most important step in the process of bringing down your debt. You need to start tracking your expenses on a monthly, weekly, or even a daily basis to find out where your money is going.

yeah, I know that you THINK you know where it’s going, but beleive me, you DON’T until you track it. :-0

Once you know where the money is going, you can make good decisions about where to curb your spending, and where to focus your debt pay-off strategy.

Number 2 -Pay off high interest before low interest.

This is probably well known, but deverses another mention. Take a look at all your loans, school, credit card, etc and make sure you’re paying off the loan with the highest interest rate. Part of this is also contacting the credit card company and asking for a lower rate. If they don’t give you one, switch to another card that will let you transfer your balance for a low or zero interest rate amount. Then, still work on the loan with the highest interest.

Number 3  It would be wise to stop using your credit card. Only keep it for emergencies.
And by emergency I don’t mean the guys all came over and you want to order 20 pizzas

Number 4. If you happen to already have money in liquid investments, like savings accounts or stock trading accounts, give that money out and pay off your loans with it. YOu can’t justify having money in a savings account that’s earning 3% interest when you have a balance on your loan that you pay 15% on. Understood? Again, you have your credit card to fall back on in a true emergency.

I hope this helps you if you are stuggling with college debt. If you have any other suggestions, feel free to post them.

Ben

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online degree programs psychology | So is $60,000 in debt worth a $100k job?

Posted by bposton on December 21st, 2006 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

Before I get off my soap box about college debt I’d like to share a few more opinions…

A few weeks ago there was a story in the USA Today about a guy who landed a job that pays $100,000 per year after piling up about $60,000 in credit card debt and loans to pay for his MBA at MIT.

He says it was worth it…

But instead of saving for a house he has to pay off debt at 15% interest.

Looking at his salary, maybe is is worth it, but not everyone will get a job like his.

It’s a pretty big risk, and one that most student just starting out may not be willing to take.

This is where a strategy that includes an online degree program would be helpful.

Think about it. If the student can live at home (which I know is asking a lot of 18-19 year olds, not to mention their parents) and avoid most or all of the room and board, they would come out much better financially at the end of 4 years.

Maybe distance education isn’t perfect for a teenager not yet used to the disipline that it would require, but what if?

What if the majority of the college students were online? Think about how much debt that would reduce. At least for most public universities, the majority of the costs of school is room and board, which is often higher than tuition itself.

OK maybe it’s a pipe dream

But I’m not sure what other good solutions are out there. If you know of any I’d love to read them in your comments.

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