Whenever I’m at a social event and start talking about higher education, I always see people’s faces light up. For one reason or another, people love to talk about their education and what they have done with it throughout their life. Education is something that runs deep with people; in fact, it almost becomes part of their identity.
I know a lot about online colleges. Not only am I an online college graduate, but I have also spent much of career writing about them. Unfortunately, one thing that never fails to surprise me is the look of dismay that appears on people’s faces whenever I start talking about online colleges. It’s almost as if all the blood has rushed from their face and they’ve lost complete interest in what I’m saying. I find this to be most troubling, given the fact that I’ve always known online colleges to be a viable, worthwhile alternative to any brick-and-mortar university. In all of my discussions with people, I’ve discovered there are three highly common misconceptions about online colleges.
You can’t get a job if you go to an online college
This is probably the most ridiculous misconception about online colleges. I think the main reason people are afraid they won’t get a job with an online college degree is simply because they don’t know enough about online colleges and their job placements, given that online colleges have only been around for a few years. In fact, people with online degrees are obtaining many of the jobs in the current job market, since most online college degrees focus on core career skills, as opposed to a smorgasbord of nonsensical classes. As is the case with any college degree, however, it isn’t the degree that matters so much as what you do with it.
Everything you learn is through the computer
When I explain to people that online colleges aren’t solely based on the Internet, they usually look confused. Sure, the name “online college” might be misleading in some way, but, yes, it’s true that you’ll often find yourself working off the computer during your courses. Many of my online college classes had me attending educational seminars, community discussions, group study sessions, and several informal classes as part of their curriculum. I found that all of these events helped contribute to a more well-rounded experience to my online education, and better yet, I wasn’t stuck staring at a computer screen all day.
You can only get an associate’s degree at an online college
Believe it or not, there are a number of different degrees you can obtain at an online college, and they come in all shapes and sizes: associate degrees, technical degrees, business degrees, nursing degrees, doctorate degrees, master’s degrees, etc. Keep in mind, not everybody has the funds necessary to go to traditional universities whenever they want to get a new degree. In fact, I got my bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas, but then chose to get my business degree online. As long as the program suits your personal lifestyle and financial budget, that’s all that matters.
It’s easy to jump to conclusions about online colleges when you don’t know all the facts. Lucky for you, these are three factual bits of information you can take to heart!
Mary Crum is a freelance blogger who writes about education topics, college trends, student lives, and online colleges in Alabama. Feel free to leave any questions or comments below.
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