A Degree — Getting it Over With
It seems so Insurmountable
For many the idea of attending a University is daunting, so much so they won’t even consider it. I believe many that do make the decision to go back and get their degree do it in a fashion that may be making the process more challenging that it has to be. It may seem obvious to many of you that the idea of attending an online school should be a very real option, but to others, this path just doesn’t sound like a good idea.
The pandemic has impacted so many lives so negatively that it is easy to overlook some of the positives that have happened. One of those positives is that employers have shifted the workforce into the home and many are getting to remain as remote workers. This change in dynamic also applies to how we learn. Just a few years ago, attending an online school meant going to a for-profit university such as University of Phoenix or DeVry. These are actually good institutions when approached correctly, but they did have a bit of a stigma about them, right or wrong. I believe the digitalization of the work place has accelerated the acceptance of these types of institutions and now any school that is failing to offer online degree paths is going to be in a world of hurt.
Option 1 — Brick & Mortar
There are actually quite a few options for attending school these days. Of course, there is the traditional approach — the brick & mortar school.
- Highly structured
- Very recognizable names on a diploma
- Many are already familiar with the process
- Access to other live human beings and community
- Typically very costly
- Have to be in class
- Time — to attend and longer to complete
The next option would be to take advantage of the online course offerings now being made available by traditional schools. Universities, branch campuses and community colleges generally offer their courses online now. This has the benefit of letting you work on your degree from home, but you are still at the mercy of their typical semester cycle, class length and availability.
Option 2 — Structured Online
I personally have experience with 2 of these institutions — University of Phoenix and Capella. Both have their strong points and their drawbacks. I believe the good far outweighs the bad.
- Start attending almost any time
- Pick an approach that works for you — self-paced or structured
- Purpose built for online learning
- Typically great materials and interface
- Can be quite costly
- Requires self-discipline
Many people believe that online learning is going to be easier or require less work. Nothing could be further from the truth. You have to make a decision for yourself to block out time and to get your work done or you will fail, plain and simple. Online learning can be easy, but only if you have the mind set that you are going to get ahead of the work and not fall behind.
Option 3 — Competency Based
Many schools offer true self-paced learning courses these days. The idea is similar to testing out of classes in that you turn in papers or complete tests showing competency in a subject. It is possible to complete entire degree programs in a semester and that includes advanced degrees such as an MBA. Programs such as Capella’s Flex Path or WGU Fast Track allow learners to show what they know and to move at their own pace.
- Can be extremely cost effective — pay for the time you need
- Less focus on grades, more focus on subject matter
- Requires serious dedication to get true value
- Classes tend to lack structure — you provide that
Paying for it and some short cuts
So how do we pay for this? College is expensive right? Well, maybe. I don’t think any of it is cheap, but the last I looked, WGU was offering Fast Track semesters for under $4,000. If you have some school done already, it is possible to get a lot done in 6 months. That’s still a lot of money, but it doesn’t have to be $50,000 to get your B.A.
Secondly, if you are a working professional, there is a reasonable chance your company has some funding for school. Some companies even have a plan to pay back existing student debt monthly. If you don’t know, ask your manager. If you’re dedicated to getting this done and your company isn’t playing ball, maybe this is another reason to move on.
Also, there are some things you can do for yourself now that can really trim down the time later. No, you’re not getting free credits with no time spent, but you can certainly reduce your formal college workload if you do some things before attending. For example — Study.com offers monthly plans for $199 that allow you to take 2 courses per month to knock out your basics. They have active partnerships with a ton of universities, so you know your credits will transfer. Another tip is to take advantage of any existing certifications or professional training you have. A lot of that stuff can be turned into college credit hours.
The Bottom Line
If you need a college degree there are options and it doesn’t really even matter what type of degree you need (I’m not sure you can practice medicine from a purely online education).
If you’re dedicated to getting done, have a wide range of knowledge and you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty, a school like WGU might be a perfect fit. An MBA can be done in as little as 6–8 weeks (story for another day).
If you need to be able to attend class on your own schedule, want great materials and structure, then University of Phoenix might be the deal.
If you are scared of your computer (then you’re not reading this anyway) well, you probably are a brick & mortar person.
At the end of the day, there isn’t a right or wrong answer. There is probably a best answer for you personally. The great news is you have choices. More so than ever before. You have the ability to move the ball down the field and to continue making tomorrow better.
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