The Pros and Cons of Online College

Online colleges have become very popular over the last few years as they have opened the door to higher education for a large number of people. If you are considering an online degree however it is important to keep in mind that there are pros and cons and you need to make sure that consider both before making a commitment.

The Pros:

• Convenient, you can take classes when it is convenient for you. This is a huge plus for a lot of adults in particular as it allows them to fit school into all of their other responsibilities.

• You can work full time while you are attending school. This will make it much easier to pay for your classes and in most cases make it unnecessary to run up huge amounts of student loan debt. Of course working full time is also going to slow down the pace at which you can complete your degree.

• You can work at your own pace. Most online colleges offer self paced courses which means that if you want to tear through the courses really quickly you can. You can also work at a slower pace if this is necessary.

The Cons:

• Most people lack the necessary discipline for online learning. While the convenience of being able to set your own schedule and work at your own pace may sound appealing the reality is that a lot of people find that without a rigid schedule and somebody telling them when to do the work it is difficult to make time for their studies.

• Online colleges are not as respected as traditional colleges. Although acceptance of online learning has increased in recent years the reality is that in the eyes of a lot of people a degree earned through an online college is not as good as one earned at a regular college.