Online Colleges and Universities - A Perfect Fit For Busy Adults

Today, the typical college student isn't quite so typical. About 40% of all students today fall into the nontraditional category, which means they aren't fresh out of high school and moving out of the house for the first time. Many of these so-called non-traditional students are returning to a degree program after taking a break to either work or raise a family. Still others are making the decision to enter new career fields and want the required educational background to move forward.

Since these non-traditional students are often working adults or adults with serious family responsibilities, a full-time college schedule isn't always possible. One possibility for them, and traditional college students, too, is to take a class from an online college or university program. One definite advantage that online classes offer is the ability to take several classes before they actually have to commit to a degree program.

The economic issues of the day may be one reason that many non-traditional students have chosen to return to school. Although they know they want to improve their employment opportunities, they may not know what direction they want to go in, career wise. Choosing an online school can help guide them in their path, because they can take several different classes that will help them decide what path is right for them.

Another great advantage to an online college is that a student needn't be tied down to someone else's schedule. Online schools allow students to create their own schedule; some classes are completely open ended, while others have certain due dates. Non- traditional students can choose the type of class and schedule that will work the best for them, and they won't have to worry about having to quit their jobs to go to school.

Because many non-traditional students haven't been in a classroom environment for several years, they might be concerned about their academic performance. If they are worried their scholarly skills aren't quite up to snuff, an online class is a good place to hone them. An online class will allow a student to familiarize themselves with college level work without the worry of peer pressure, because they will be able to study at their own pace and in the privacy of their own home.

More and more educators are seeing the real benefits that online education can offer students. At the secondary level, some public schools are even offering a great deal of coursework to their students in an online format. Time will only tell, but it seems that as online education becomes more prevalent, degree holders from online school will be just as common and in the same upper management positions as degree holders from traditional colleges.

The workplace is definitely being transformed by online education. Many employers want to see their workforce as highly educated as possible, and are willing to help them with tuition assistance or other funding for school. Online degree programs are ideal for this, because employees can invest in their employees without worrying about them having to take precious time away from work.

Online college may definitely be the best way for non-traditional students to complete their college degree. Whether they want to complete a previously unfinished degree, or move into a new field altogether, this type of degree program can help them navigate their way through these, and other, choices. The programs offered by online colleges and universities will help students gain new skill sets and knowledge, while helping them gain confidence and abilities that may help them move upward and onward at work.

Comparing Small Colleges Versus Large Universities

When high school students start thinking about which colleges and universities to attend, they may find themselves debating between smaller schools and larger ones. Depending on the student's major, location, financial picture and background, it may be an easy choice. For others, however, it can be a challenging decision. In general terms, students from smaller towns and high schools may be looking for smaller colleges and universities, while those from metropolitan areas and larger high schools may find a more comfortable fit with a larger campus size. Although it is a consideration, it is important to go beyond this stereotype, however, and look at what the school has to offer.

Student-Teacher Ratio

While a lower student-teacher ratio is a draw for those who flourish with specialized attention and a more family-type atmosphere, this is not only found in small schools, it is found in larger ones. Look for highly specialized programs and upper-level major-specific courses to have smaller classrooms and class sizes. While large universities are well-known for hosting general studies and required courses in auditoriums with more than a 100 or 200 students in attendance for lectures, these courses may be paired with separate smaller discussion groups that meet regularly, with specialized help from teaching assistants or the professor. In both smaller and larger settings, professors always have office hours and offer students email addresses, forums and bulletin boards for extra communication and academic help. Unlike high school, it is up to the student to take the initiative for one-on-one assistance if it needed, regardless of class or university size.

Housing

Living on campus or off campus has a dramatic effect on the person's social life, meal plan, expenses and ability to attend classes and sporting events. Some schools require freshmen to live in the dormitories for the first year, while others have no on-campus housing available. Finding roommates is usually a simple process either done by assignment for dorms or independently through an off-campus housing office or through online and offline bulletin boards. Free or public transportation is more abundant for universities located in larger cities than in rural places. Having a vehicle may be the lifeline if a someone needs to go to the store, attend special events or enjoy the local sights. Living on campus usually requires little more than comfortable shoes and the ability to plan ahead for long walks across sprawling campuses to class, the union or the dining hall.

Virtual College Fairs

Determining whether to choose a smaller or larger institution of higher learning is a personal choice that students should make only after talking with parents, current students and college admissions counseling advisors. Visiting virtual fairs will help prospective students learn about campus housing, financial aid, academic and athletic programs, as well as social organizations. Virtual fairs allow students to reach out to college recruiting representatives, speak to current students and have a look at the campus through a virtual tour.

Financial Aid

In general terms, most small colleges are typically private and may have a higher price tag than public universities, depending on the particular school and whether the student is considered for in-state or out-of-state tuition. Financial aid is available at all schools. Some have more to share than others, and some have much stiffer competition for the funding. Academic, athletic and need-based scholarships are given to students through funds set aside for those with specific qualifications. Larger schools may have more availability for athletic and other types of scholarships than smaller ones, depending on alumni involvement and donations.

Author writes about a variety of topics. If you would like to learn more about virtual college fairs, http://www.collegeweeklive.com/.

Writing Articles About Colleges And Universities

One very cool category which finds an abundance of readers online is that of "colleges and universities" and best of all folks of all ages read these articles. Consider if you will all the kids in college, all those who've gone to college, want to go back to college, work for academic institutions, or somehow are involved in the sector. Yes, that's a lot of folks indeed, and most of this crowd is highly literate and they all seem to have personal tech devices constantly connected to any and all online content. Okay so, let's talk shall we?

You see, over the years, I have authored a ton of articles on colleges and universities and related topics. Consider if you will all the sub-categories, audience segments, and on-going new developments such as online lectures and e-Texbooks for instance. That right there is good for quite a few articles, and might I ask why no one is writing reviews for online professor university level lectures? We have online reviews for movies, video games, e-Books, and every product under the sun, why not reviews for online lectures? Why not write some articles in that venue? What about things like;

Student Loans
Best Business Colleges
College Life
Dealing with Dorm Room Mates
Sports Programs
Entrance Exams
Textbook Costs
Research Studies
Teaching
Technical Colleges
For-Profit-Colleges
On-going Education Requirements
Colleges of the Future
Best Degrees for Getting a Job
Out of State Colleges
Foreign Exchange Programs

Are you beginning to see the possibilities here? Now that I think about it, even though I have over 100 articles on college topics, I see I can even write some more. Indeed, I cannot do this all by myself, I could certainly use some help from my fellow article authors to help me fill the gaps. In fact, if you will consider some of the subtopics I have written above then you can come up with four or five more of your own.

Whereas there are other people writing on this subject matter there certainly aren't enough articles on these topics to quench the thirst of the Internet. Make sure that you have your target market in mind, and if you are writing to students do write from their perspective, and always title your articles as questions they might pose or ask into the search engine search bar. This way they can find your article.

Best of all, you don't have to dummy down your article to an eighth grade reading level, as this group of people are a little more sophisticated and actually enjoy being challenged with an upper-end vocabulary. That makes it kind of fun and challenging too. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on the Future of Education. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net