E‑Learning Bachelor’s Degrees: Tips for Navigating Online Education

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In today’s fast-paced world, an increas­ing num­ber of stu­dents are opt­ing for online bach­e­lor’s degree pro­grams. This trend is fueled by the desire for flex­i­bil­i­ty and con­ve­nience with­out com­pro­mis­ing the qual­i­ty of edu­ca­tion. Online learn­ing was grow­ing steadi­ly, but the events of 2020 and 2021 made a huge impact. In fact, from 2019 to 2020 the field jumped from 2.4 mil­lion stu­dents to over 7 mil­lion, and it’s held strong. 

This shift to online edu­ca­tion is dri­ven by a lot of fac­tors. That includes the need to bal­ance school with work, fam­i­ly respon­si­bil­i­ties, and oth­er com­mit­ments. On top of that, new tech­nol­o­gy has changed the vir­tu­al class­room expe­ri­ence, with inter­ac­tive learn­ing envi­ron­ments and mul­ti­me­dia resources that make an online school just as excit­ing as a tra­di­tion­al campus.

Whether you’re a high school stu­dent con­sid­er­ing your future, a par­ent sup­port­ing your child’s aspi­ra­tions, or a cur­rent col­lege stu­dent explor­ing new avenues, div­ing into the realm of online learn­ing can open doors to excit­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties. Here are some essen­tial tips to help you suc­ceed in online bach­e­lor’s degree programs.

Relat­ed Resources:

How Many Stu­dents are in Online Degree Programs?

Degree Lev­elPer­cent­age (Out of All Students)
Asso­ciate4.4%
Bach­e­lor6.5%
Mas­ter11.5%
Doc­tor­al3.5%
Source: Forbes March 2024

First pub­lished in March 2024. All data was accu­rate at time of publication.

Advantages of Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Online bach­e­lor’s degree pro­grams offer a pletho­ra of advan­tages that cater to the diverse needs of mod­ern learners. 

  • Flex­i­bil­i­ty: You can make your own sched­ule, fit­ting class­es around work, fam­i­ly, and oth­er needs.
  • No Lim­its: You can study from any­where, no mat­ter where you live.
  • Inter­ac­tive: Online class­es are fun! You can chat with class­mates and teach­ers and watch videos.
  • Save Mon­ey: Online cours­es often cost less than tra­di­tion­al classes.

For many peo­ple, the flex­i­bil­i­ty of online learn­ing is a game-chang­er. You might be: 

  • a busy pro­fes­sion­al look­ing to advance your career
  • a par­ent jug­gling child­care responsibilities
  • a stu­dent seek­ing alter­na­tive pathways

Online bach­e­lor’s degree pro­grams pro­vide the flex­i­bil­i­ty to cus­tomize your learn­ing around to your unique sched­ule and priorities.

Online edu­ca­tion is super con­ve­nient because you can study from any­where, not just where you live. This is espe­cial­ly help­ful for peo­ple who live far from schools or have trou­ble get­ting to them.

And online class­es are real­ly cool! You can use videos, chat rooms, and vir­tu­al class­rooms to learn. It makes study­ing more fun and lets you talk with oth­er stu­dents. Plus, it saves mon­ey because you don’t have to trav­el to school or pay for some­where to stay.

Tips for Staying Motivated in Virtual Classrooms

Stay­ing moti­vat­ed in an online degree pro­gram requires dis­ci­pline, deter­mi­na­tion, and effec­tive time man­age­ment. Stay­ing moti­vat­ed in an online course can be tough for a few reasons:

  • Not See­ing Peo­ple: In online class­es, you don’t see your class­mates or teach­ers in per­son. This can make you feel lone­ly and less excit­ed about learning.
  • Being Respon­si­ble: Online learn­ing needs you to be respon­si­ble for man­ag­ing your time and get­ting your work done. Some peo­ple find this hard because they’re used to hav­ing a teacher tell them what to do.
  • Get­ting Dis­tract­ed: When you’re at home doing school­work, there are lots of things that can dis­tract you, like fam­i­ly, pets, or TV. It’s easy to lose focus.
  • Tech Prob­lems: Some­times, the inter­net does­n’t work well or your com­put­er breaks. These prob­lems can stop you from doing your work and make you feel frustrated.
  • Feel­ing Alone: In online class­es, you might not feel like you have as much help from your teach­ers or class­mates. This can make it hard­er to stay moti­vat­ed because you’re on your own.
  • Doubt­ing Val­ue: Some peo­ple won­der if online class­es are as good as reg­u­lar class­es. This doubt can make them less inter­est­ed in learn­ing online.

So how do you stay focused and moti­vat­ed? Start by set­ting aside a study space free from dis­trac­tions, where you can focus sole­ly on class­work. Estab­lish a rou­tine that aligns with your nat­ur­al rhythm, set­ting aside spe­cif­ic blocks of time for course­work, assign­ments, and self-study.

Keep talk­ing to your teach­ers and class­mates. You can use email, chat rooms, or online meet­ings to stay in touch. Join class dis­cus­sions, ask ques­tions, and get help when you need it. It’s impor­tant to feel like you’re part of a group. Also, set goals for your­self that you can reach, and cel­e­brate when you do. This will help you stay excit­ed and keep going.

  • Set Up a Study Spot: Find a qui­et place to study with­out distractions.
  • Stick to a Sched­ule: Make a plan for when to study and stick to it.
  • Talk to Your Teach­ers: Don’t be shy! Ask ques­tions and get involved in class discussions.
  • Cel­e­brate Suc­cess: Pat your­self on the back when you fin­ish a task. You deserve it!
statistics on online bachelor's degree programs

Choosing Reputable Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs

When you’re start­ing your online bach­e­lor’s degree jour­ney, it’s impor­tant to pick good schools that care about how well you learn. First, look for pro­grams that are accred­it­ed by trust­ed orga­ni­za­tions. This makes sure your degree will be respect­ed by employers.

Check out what the pro­gram teach­es, who teach­es it, and how they help stu­dents. Talk to peo­ple who went to the school before, like advi­sors or oth­er stu­dents. They can tell you what’s good and what’s not. Also, think about how much it costs, how many stu­dents fin­ish the pro­gram, and what hap­pens to them after they grad­u­ate. These things can help you decide which online degree is best for you.

  • Look for Accred­it­ed Schools: Make sure the pro­gram is rec­og­nized as legit.
  • Check Out the Teach­ers: Make sure they’re qual­i­fied and experienced.
  • Ask for Advice: Talk to stu­dents or grad­u­ates to see what they think of the program.
  • Think About the Cost: Make sure it fits your bud­get and that you’re get­ting val­ue for your money.

To suc­ceed in online school, you need to be deter­mined, stay moti­vat­ed, and make smart choic­es. Take advan­tage of the good things about online learn­ing, like flex­i­bil­i­ty and con­ve­nience. Pick a good school and stick with it to reach your goals.

More and more peo­ple are choos­ing online col­lege because it’s flex­i­ble, easy, and good qual­i­ty. As the way we learn changes, online school is becom­ing a pop­u­lar option for peo­ple who want to study while deal­ing with busy lives.

FAQs

Is online bach­e­lor degree hard?

The truth is, online bach­e­lor’s degrees aren’t nec­es­sar­i­ly eas­i­er than tra­di­tion­al degrees. Here’s the deal:
Same Work­load: Most online pro­grams cov­er the same mate­r­i­al as on-cam­pus pro­grams. You’ll still have to put in the effort to learn and com­plete assign­ments.
Self-Dis­ci­pline Need­ed: Online learn­ing requires strong self-dis­ci­pline. You’ll need to man­age your time well, stay moti­vat­ed on your own, and be proac­tive about reach­ing out to instruc­tors with ques­tions. No pro­fes­sor there to nudge you!
Flex­i­bil­i­ty is a Plus: The ben­e­fit? Online pro­grams offer flex­i­bil­i­ty! You can study on your sched­ule, which can be great for busy adults.
So, the dif­fi­cul­ty depends on you:
Do you strug­gle with stay­ing focused with­out a set sched­ule? Online class­es might require more self-dis­ci­pline.
Are you a busy pro­fes­sion­al who needs flex­i­bil­i­ty? Online pro­grams can work well for your lifestyle.
Online degrees can be a great option, but they require focus and time man­age­ment. If you’re orga­nized and self-moti­vat­ed, you can suc­ceed in an online program!

Are online bach­e­lor’s degrees respect­ed?

Yes, online bachelor’s degrees are respect­ed now more than ever! For­get the myth that online degrees are less val­ued! In today’s world, employ­ers care more about what you know and how you can apply it than where you learned it. Here’s the low­down:
Skills Mat­ter Most: Employ­ers are look­ing for grad­u­ates with strong skills and knowl­edge. An online degree from a rep­utable school can equip you with those just as well as a tra­di­tion­al degree.
Focus on Accred­i­ta­tion: Make sure your online pro­gram is accred­it­ed by a respect­ed orga­ni­za­tion. This shows employ­ers your degree meets qual­i­ty stan­dards.
Expe­ri­ence Counts: Com­bine your online degree with intern­ships or work expe­ri­ence to show you can apply your knowl­edge in the real world. That’s a major plus for employ­ers!
So, online degrees are def­i­nite­ly respect­ed! As long as the pro­gram is accred­it­ed and you can demon­strate your skills, you’ll be a strong can­di­date for jobs.

What are the 5 tips to be suc­cess­ful in online learn­ing?

Here are 5 quick tips for suc­cess in online learn­ing: 
Be Your Own Boss (But Set Good Rules): Online class­es offer flex­i­bil­i­ty, but that means you got­ta man­age your time. Make a week­ly sched­ule that includes study time, dead­lines, and even breaks! Treat it seri­ous­ly, just like you would on-cam­pus class­es.
Stay Con­nect­ed, No Mat­ter What: Online does­n’t mean alone! Par­tic­i­pate in class dis­cus­sions online forums, or find study groups with class­mates (even vir­tu­al­ly!). Don’t be afraid to reach out to instruc­tors with ques­tions. Feel­ing con­nect­ed will keep you moti­vat­ed.
Tame the Tech: Tech prob­lems can be frus­trat­ing. Make sure you have a reli­able com­put­er, inter­net con­nec­tion, and any soft­ware you need for your class­es. Hav­ing a back­up plan in case of tech glitch­es is a life­saver!
Carve Out a Qui­et Cor­ner: Find a ded­i­cat­ed study space at home (or wher­ev­er you learn best) that’s free from dis­trac­tions. This will help you focus on your course­work and avoid get­ting side­tracked by chores, TV, or social media.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help: Just like with tra­di­tion­al class­es, there will be times you get stuck. Don’t be shy! Reach out to your instruc­tors, class­mates, or online tutors for help. The more you ask, the more you’ll learn and suc­ceed.
By fol­low­ing these tips, you can turn online learn­ing into a suc­cess­ful and reward­ing experience!

How do I pre­pare for an online degree?

So you’re ready to tack­le online school! You’ve got the tech and time man­age­ment cov­ered. But what else can you do to get ahead of the game?
Be a Self-Starter: Unlike tra­di­tion­al class­es, online learn­ing often requires more inde­pen­dent work. Become a self-starter! Set clear goals for your­self, stay moti­vat­ed, and hold your­self account­able. Read ahead of lec­tures, don’t wait for some­one to tell you what to do.
Research Like a Pro: Online learn­ing opens doors to a vast pool of resources. Learn to be your own research whiz! Explore online libraries, data­bas­es, and edu­ca­tion­al web­sites to sup­ple­ment your course­work. This will boost your under­stand­ing and make you a more well-round­ed stu­dent.
Mas­ter Com­mu­ni­ca­tion: Strong com­mu­ni­ca­tion is key in online pro­grams, even if you don’t meet your class­mates face-to-face. Prac­tice clear and con­cise writ­ing in dis­cus­sions and emails. Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask ques­tions online!
Find Your Learn­ing Style: Every­one learns dif­fer­ent­ly. Some peo­ple thrive with visu­al aids, while oth­ers pre­fer hands-on activ­i­ties. Exper­i­ment and fig­ure out what works best for you in an online envi­ron­ment. Maybe you learn best by watch­ing video lec­tures or tak­ing detailed notes while read­ing.
Take Advan­tage of Sup­port: Many online pro­grams offer a vari­ety of stu­dent sup­port ser­vices, from tutors to aca­d­e­m­ic advi­sors. Don’t be shy! Take advan­tage of these resources if you need help with a tough con­cept or just some gen­er­al guid­ance.
By going beyond the basics and focus­ing on these areas, you’ll be well-pre­pared to not just sur­vive, but thrive in online school! You’ll be a self-direct­ed learn­er, a research rock­star, and a com­mu­ni­ca­tion whiz – all skills that will set you up for suc­cess in the online class­room and beyond.

Do employ­ers like online degrees?

Gone are the days when online degrees were looked down on. In today’s job mar­ket, employ­ers care more about your skills and abil­i­ties than where you got your degree.
Online degrees can show skills like time man­age­ment. Jug­gling work, school, and life shows you can man­age your time effec­tive­ly. This is a valu­able skill that many employ­ers are look­ing for!
Don’t wor­ry if your degree is online. As long as the pro­gram is accred­it­ed and you can demon­strate your skills, you’ll be a strong can­di­date for jobs. In fact, online degrees might even show­case some addi­tion­al skills that tra­di­tion­al degrees don’t!