How Online Degree Programs Can Be a Great Way of Satiating Your Desire for Higher Education

A failure in fulfilling your desire for higher education should not perplex you as long you have a successful and high- paying career. However, education does not come with the sole purpose of preparing you for a rewarding field of work, though it is certainly one of the most essential objectives of academic degrees. Consequently, encountering an obstacle in your way of attaining higher education can affect your career or compel you to choose a different path altogether. When it comes to the field in which you are supposed to be working, it is of utmost importance that the area generates sufficient interest in you, the absence of which can turn life into a rather boring one. Thus, you will eventually feel the need to resume studies and this time, take up the subject of your choice. Since, you cannot afford to compromise your career or family life for the sake of higher studies, you should consider enrolling yourself for the online degree programs.

Online education emerged primarily with the purpose of offering a scope to those with a dream of pursuing education but with certain problems that keep them from doing so. The flexibility of the online degree courses ensures that the students can complete their assignments at any time of the day. Thus, with a little planning, you can actually climb a step further towards getting yourself Bachelors or Masters Certificate without hampering the other priorities in your life. It is perhaps needless to mention that the online degree obtained would not only satisfy you in terms of fulfilling your dream of higher-level education but also confront you with excellent career opportunities.

Apart from the obvious flexibility that online education facilitates, it is also a wide variety of subjects taught online that play a significant role behind the popularity of the online degree programs. Let us take the subject of Criminal Justice into account. Besides being an extremely interesting discipline, it offers job prospects that are appealing and lucrative, in terms of both money as well as status. An individual with an online criminal justice degree becomes entitled to work as a police officer, a correctional officer, a law enforcement officer and so on, positions that bestow him with lots of responsibilities while also rewarding him equally.

Online degree courses are not as expensive as many would apprehend. On the contrary, many of the prominent colleges and Universities grant scholarships and financial aid to students, further relieving them from the necessity of a huge investment.

What Are the Advantages of Distance Learning?

Nowadays, the demand for distance learning is at an all-time high, and many universities, colleges, government agencies, and organizations are offering online courses and programs. Distance learning has opened doors and opportunities for many people who may not have the time or resources to attend conventional scheduled classes. As the Internet becomes an integral part of people's lives, it's logical that they desire an alternative such as distance learning. Still, the question has to be addressed. What are the advantages of distance learning? Let's take a look.

Flexibility

Perhaps, the greatest advantage of distance learning is flexibility. Even if you are enrolled in a school or college where you are a full-time student, you can still take a course via distance learning. Assuming that you want to take a course which is not available in your school, you can easily find a school that offers that course and take the course via the Internet. As long as you have a computer and Internet connection, you can study for the course or courses anywhere in the world. In this sense, people from all over the world can enroll at any school which offers the programs or courses of their choice, without having to leave their countries. Also, most distance learning modules allow students to set their own schedules so they have complete control about how much time they want to spend on a particular subject and so on. More importantly, they can study at their most optimal times, thereby increasing efficiency and effectiveness. Distance learning is especially suitable for working parents who want to continue their education or upgrade their skills because they really don't have the time to attend scheduled classes.

Numerous Schools

If you have ever tried to search for a school that offers distance learning for the courses or programs that you are interested in, you will be amazed at the number of available choices. In fact, there are so many schools that you may be quite confused about which school to select. Well, it's always better to have more choices than just a few, right? With the Internet, you can find out about the best schools for a particular program, and you can perform research to find out which school is most suitable for your purpose. Ever thought of learning Japanese at some famous Japanese school? You can do that with distance learning.

Lower Costs

Since you are not required to be physically present in the school of your choice, you will save some money on transportation. Presently, the price of gas is getting higher and it has an impact on transportation costs, making it more costly to travel. For international students, it translates to quite a lot of savings because they don't have to purchase air tickets or worry about rent, and other living expenses. Without having to travel to the school, distance learners also save a lot of time, over the long run. Typically, schools charge a lower fee for online courses in comparison to the on-campus course due to lower overheads.

Bible Colleges Online: 5 Schools and 10 Things To Remember

Looking at Bible colleges online, I recently noticed that many people have an interest in a degree. It's really a great opportunity - you study in a field that benefits your local area, and you study while at home.

When you finish, your neighborhood continues to benefit, and you continue to grow. You can even extend out into missions and outreach programs.

But who are these Bible colleges online? Actually, several schools offer a degree online. There are: Trinity College, Ames, and Christian Leadership College to name a few.

You can also look at Calvary Chapel's program, and the appropriately named OBC, or Online Bible College.

Let's get into the list of what to do:

1. Select Your Field

While it will be an online Bible degree, you still have choices. Be sure you feel comfortable with the degree you will work toward.

2. Requirements

These can be tricky. When you select a program, be sure you understand the real requirements. I once looked at a program for another degree that required me to be on campus for several weeks, even though the degree was called an online degree.

That would be a bad surprise after spending a year on the classes, only to find out you had to shell out more money for an on-campus class and a few weeks away from home.

3. Costs Are Important

Who builds a house without counting the cost, right? Be sure you have a plan for reaching your goal. And check with the school to see if the financial aid office has some help in the form of scholarships, grants, or perhaps loans if you have no other way to finish.

4. Scholarships

Apply for all the private scholarships that you qualify for in your field.

I know this seems like an obvious thing to do, but so many students in your shoes won't ever apply for a scholarship. Not even one. Take the time to apply for scholarships, and you may win some.

It's free money, and you can probably use the help to finish your online college degree.

5. Student Interaction

As you look at the different Bible colleges online, make sure you will get enough interaction with your fellow students. When you graduate, this network can really help you to excel and grow if you keep in touch with them.

6. Church Placement

Will your online school offer you any job placement help? You should check. After all, you will want to use your degree when you finish. If you need to find a job, then you should go to a school that offers some placement assistance.

7. Bibles, Textbooks and Supplies

Some online colleges and universities now offer all online textbooks. Others might guarantee to buy back your books when your class is over if you want to sell it.

And others will bill you over $100 for each textbook and assume you want to keep them all. Look into it - it can save you hundreds of dollars.

8. Technical Equipment

With some much education going online lately, you will want to know what the Bible colleges online you consider require in terms of computers. Also, you can check to see which schools have mobile apps to help you study and keep in touch.

These little things can help you keep up with your classes and communicate with your professors throughout your degree.

9. Time Commitment

Of course, getting a theological degree of any kind online will require some time commitment. Have thought about how much time you have to devote to the program?

Be sure that the program you select will work well with your life. A lock step program can get you done faster, but a more open program will offer more flexibility.

10. Ministry

In getting your degree through one of the Bible colleges online, you might find that you need to participate in a local congregation, maybe as a volunteer. Do you have a church in your area that you like?

Check with your online college so that you can be prepared for these assignments, and benefit the believers in your area.

Exam Anxiety - From Panic to Passing Tomorrow's Exam

Studies conducted by numerous institutions of higher learning indicate that an overwhelming number of students suffer some form of exam anxiety. And it is no wonder! The amount of time spent in preparation for exams stretches toward two extremes:

• Waiting until the last-minute, and then cramming

• Never quite learning the skills needed to prepare ones' self for the inevitable exams

Among many students, the last thing they are concerned about as each new semester begins is passing exams. They tend to begin each semester full of hope and resolve. They feel confident that they'll grasp all of the information given to them during classes and lectures. But as time passes, many students slowly begin to lose that resolve.

Instead... self-doubt begins to erode their good intentions.

It's not your fault! Human nature tends to convince students that the best way to pass an exam is to wait until it's almost upon them. This is when exam anxiety begins to build. If you find yourself in this leaking boat, here are some tips to ease the pressure before it becomes too much of a distraction:

5 Steps to a passing grade

1. Review all of your notes. (You do take notes, don't you?) If you don't have complete notes, see if a classmate will loan you his/hers. Begin by writing down a list of all the points you think will be listed in the exam, while keeping in mind that NOT EVERYTHING will be included. Do not waste time studying the points you know-concentrate on the points you do not know or do not fully understand.

2. Using a scale of 1 - 5, give weights to the subjects you need to concentrate upon-1 being a topic needing the least amount of study.

3. Decide how much time you will need to thoroughly cover the weak topics, even if this means skipping that part-time job or even classes. Studying for an exam is a fulltime pursuit so use every available minute for study. We learn most through our visual sense, but the second best means of memory retention comes from audible input. So make your own voice recordings. Most computers have a built-in audio recorder. If not-download Audacity at Audicity.com.

4. If the exam is just a heartbeat away, plan on doing nothing else but studying. There are websites offering a wealth of How-To-Study tips, but you won't have time to review them all. You see, the idea is to begin preparing for an exam several days out from it. But if that luxury isn't available, then get to work immediately.

5. Memorize those topics you think are vital as close to the exam as possible. When it comes to memory, each individual will possess different degrees of ability to retain the information. If any last minute cramming is to be done, do it a close to the exam time as possible.

A Word About Cramming

Many educators agree that cramming should be a last resort simply because its effectiveness is limited and only provides minimal retention. But if the exam is tomorrow, you have little choice but to dive in.

The Last Minute Crunch:

In several of the posts on my personal website, I offer time-tested and proven study techniques that have benefited thousands of students just like you. But when there is simply very limited time to learn the way to study, I suggest you put the 5 tips given above to work for you.

How to Take Notes in Class - Part 1 - Getting Ready

Taking notes is just one of the many parts of a systematic plan toward getting better grades. The student can take 2 approaches toward note-taking:

• The casual approach: This approach to note-raking reveals that you look at note-taking as just one more chore in the overall scheme of things. At some point during your school years, someone, a teacher no doubt, stressed the need for taking good notes if you expect to get good grades. Yes... that's a big part of the picture, but approaching this task in a casual manner will generally result in pages of meaningless gibberish. A good instructor/professor has a "method in this madness." A good educator will deliver each lecture or classroom review that encompasses a theme. He/she is revealing certain key elements of the subject matter that you are expected to grasp and retain. Why... ? Because the upcoming exam will test your note-taking skills.

• The scientific approach: This approach is solely dependent on you. The casual approach is one in which you tend to treat the whole matter as a joke. The scientific approach is one wherein you recognize the seriousness of the endeavor and make a sincere effort to write down those key points that the instructor is trying to make. In reality, many educators are actually handing you a copy of the upcoming exam-but those following the Casual Approach seem to miss the whole point of these sessions. The objective, you see, is to provide yourself with an outline of the subject material, which saves you the time and effort in re-reading pages and chapters of textbook material. Of course you will review the formal textbook material but having good notes will direct you toward a glimpse of what the exam will cover.

The tips listed below will only be helpful to you if you are genuinely committed to creating notes that offer you a snapshot of the lecture or classroom coverage of the subject matter, which in reality may be the instructor's method of virtually handing you a copy of the exam in advance. Now the choice is yours-you can do the right thing and record this vital information or you can shrug it off.

1. Please do not rely on someone else to take notes for you. This is often a direct route to self-destruction. Be prepared to take your own notes. This will eliminate having to figure out or interpret what your classmate is trying to convey.

2. Preparation: A good note-taking technique is to use a 3-ring binder. Lecture material isn't always given in the same order it is found in the textbook so move pages around to maintain a degree of order. Use 3-ring separators to keep lecture material and subject matter in order.

3. While it may seem painful to you-sit near or even on the front row-towards the center of the room. You will be less likely to miss keys points this way.

4. When the instructor goes the extra step of listing points on the board, overhead projector or PowerPoint slide, you can be certain that information is important-so record this in it your notes.

5. Be sure to date your notes and add headings and subheadings to keep the trend of the subject matter in some form of logical order.

6. A handy device to have on hand is a portable voice recorder, which is another reason to sit close to the speaker. A fast-talking instructor may overwhelm your manual note-taking, but you can rerun his/her lecture as many times as needed to get a grasp on what was being said.

7. Most instructors will post reading assignments in advance of lectures. Spend the time during the day before to at least skim the material. You are better-equipped to grasp the key points of a lecture if you are at least familiar with the main topics of discussion.

Note-taking can actually be fun if you don't look at it as a bore. Each key point represents a potential exam question. Educators, good educators, plan out the semester from beginning to end. They hope for the majority of their students to get good final grades. This equates to a kind of job security for them. If their students do consistently well year after year, this is a mark of a true educator and not an individual who is just filling a slot in the faculty roster.