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Earning a Degree Online — More Accessible Than You Think

Posted April 03, 2016 12:00 AM by Penn State

Contributed by Penn State World Campus

For some working professionals, the decision to reengage with higher education can feel daunting. While they may want to advance their careers by completing an unfinished degree, or pursuing a new degree altogether, they might wonder if they're prepared for the endeavor.

Common questions that you, as a prospective student, may ask:

"How will I find time in my busy schedule to engage in online learning?"

One of the primary benefits of pursuing an education online is the flexibility you'll enjoy. Many degrees, including the Penn State World Campus online graduate engineering programs are structured to accommodate even the most demanding schedules of working professionals. Learning at your own pace, on your own time, from almost anywhere, makes it easier than ever for employed adult students to acquire additional education.

"Will I have the opportunity to interact directly with my instructor and classmates?"

The best institutions of higher learning tailor their programs to allow students to communicate with their classmates and their instructor. Online communication tools like email and instant messaging give students the opportunity to participate in one-on-one dialogues, while blogs, message boards, and social media lend themselves to multiperson "classroom" conversations. Some professors even encourage their students to communicate with them during virtual office hours.

"Is pursuing a degree something that I can afford?"

Penn State World Campus will work to help address payment options and find financial aid, and in some cases, your employer may work to help you find the most cost-effective way to reengage your education. Additionally, a higher level of education can help open doors for you to advance to higher-paying opportunities in your current profession, or in a new profession altogether.

"Do I have access to the technology I'll need to fully participate in online learning?"

You might be surprised to discover just how low the technology threshold for a robust online education is. If you can send/receive email, browse the web, use social media, and stream videos, you most likely have the technology you need to pursue your education online.

What can Penn State World Campus do for you?

When you pursue an engineering degree through Penn State World Campus, you can rest assured that you'll be partnering with a well-respected institution that offers a high-quality education to help you advance your career and enrich your understanding of your field of choice.

Editor's Note: This is a sponsored blog post by Penn State.

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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Tulare, CA
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#1

Re: Earning a Degree Online — More Accessible Than You Think

04/08/2016 10:38 AM

Yes you can. I did it and was working 55 hour weeks. I didn't get much sleep though. A few times I found myself dozing off at work. I did complete a 4 year degree in three years, since you can do the courses all year long. I did 4 classes a semester, they broke it up with two classes each half of the semester. Was required to participate in discussions, you aren't allowed to be a wallflower. You still have to buy the books and mail in projects. I had one class that required video taping myself giving a presentation and having to mail in the tape. I got a BSBA in Project Management. Not all of the instructors were college professors, some were actual CEO's and Managers of companies. When I started I had to do final exams at the Public Library and proctored by a Librarian. Then they changed that and made the finals open book and take them online. The first time they started that, I was on dialup internet and would lose connection, and the finals were 3 hours long. I lost part of my grade for a psychology class. I changed to getting cable internet after that and didn't have anymore problems the remainder of my educational experience.

One major difference with online over in classroom is that online they require you to participate in the discussions. You can't sit in the back of the classroom and hope you're not noticed. They contribute class participation to being a major factor to a better educational experience.

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#2

Re: Earning a Degree Online — More Accessible Than You Think

03/11/2020 3:45 PM

No doubts, homework is important but everything has its limits! Sometimes teachers give students too many writing tasks which are not easy at all and students just can't manage them without assignment writing help. In my opinion, this is the reason for such great popularity of writing services among students.

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