Will Cyber School Affect My Chances of a Good College?

"Mom, Dad I'd like to do cyber school next fall."

Ok, now everyone guess what their first concern was... Bueno!

"How will that affect college?"

Good question! This is another one of those tough questions to answer because there are a bunch of different colleges and cyber schools with different ideologies, standards and opinions.

I first took this question to my school counselor. She let me know that it shouldn't be a problem for most colleges because I had been a good student before. Then I went to some friends of mine who have been schooled online their entire lives. They told me essentially the same thing. It was very reassuring, but I've found in my 16 years of life that it's best to build a body of knowledge for most things because you will never know when it will come in handy, like face painting or unicycle riding (I haven't totally mastered the second yet).

Googling this subject found me a lot of sights about cyber colleges. Interesting, but not quite what I am looking for....aha! A site called college confidential has the answer to this question in an article called "Cyber School and College Admissions."

His overall point is that being schooled online shouldn't hurt your chances at a good college. Before it was looked on with more skepticism, but now virtual school's popularity is quickly growing, and gaining respect also. Most colleges today will have a separate page for cyber schooling requirements.

For example, Penn State offers a web page of requirements for home schooled students. Home school students are basically required the same things as kids who go to public schools. Home schooling isn't the same as cyber schooling, but it is usually grouped in the same categories and looked upon similarly.

Personally I am happy to know that my choice to be in online school will not have a negative effect on colleges, but I am not sure that I will be going to college in a couple years.

I have decided to go into ministry when I am older. I think in my case it would be better if I could gain more experience working with other than going to a college, not that I am ruling out colleges. My biggest gripe with colleges is the insane amount of debt they give you.

So what could I do instead?

Well James Altucher has about 8 alternatives to college. They are to:

1. Start a business

2. Travel the world

3. Create art

4. Make people laugh (teaches how to communicate with people, and can be used for things like writing)

5. Write a book

6. Work in a charity

7. Master a game

8. Master a sport

I can see none of these alternatives being hurt by virtual school. In fact in online school most of these can probably be started during all of the free time that is gained!

How Do Employers View Online Degrees

There are a huge number of online degrees that a student can earn. With many colleges turning to online options to save money and allow students worldwide access their programs, it seems like there is a never ending list of possible degree options available to students today.

One common misconception is that online degrees are not valued the same way as a degree from a student who attended a physical institution. Opinions are changing and online degrees are becoming more common than ever before. The following article will explain some of the degrees that are available online as well as explain how employers are accrediting these degrees and treating them as equal to a traditional degree.

Online Bachelor's Degrees

The most common form of online degree is a bachelor's degree. An online bachelor's degree usually takes 4 years of full time study in order to complete. Some students opt to taking an accelerated program which can shorten the time of their program to only 3 years whereas some take several years to complete their degree and schedule their classes around school and work, to fit with their own individual schedule. A bachelor's degree can be obtained in many different subjects including a bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, bachelor of business or engineering. Many of the bachelor's degrees offered at most traditional colleges and universities are now available to take online.

Certifications and Diplomas

There are also certificate diplomas which are offered as online programs as well. Certain certificates are required in order to advance in the workforce and remain in current employment standards for your job. By taking these programs online a person is able to work their schooling around their current position and save money in administration fees.

Advanced Degrees

There are also options to take masters and doctorate degrees online as well. What this can mean is that if a person requires an upgrade in order to get a new job or wanted to upgrade after graduating from an undergraduate program at a traditional college or online college program, they will be able to continue their education in an online master's degree or doctorate degree. This is a very simple way to upgrade your education and offer a slightly different experience than traditional college. Taking a master's degree online also allows you to start a job with your existing bachelor's degree. Quite often the financial drain of being in a full time college program for 4 years will make a person want to work right away and they may not return to school. Taking an online masters or doctorate program allows that time to work and go to school at the same time.

5 Secret Tricks to Boast of Your Degrees Earned Online on Facebook

Facebook has surfaced as an alternative and virtual social platform where we can mix and mingle with each other and go social without hampering our working life. Have you ever envied your friends who have completed their graduation or higher studies from a regular college and posted that status update on Facebook? Have you ever cursed your hectic working life for not giving you that time space for pursuing a degree or diploma that you have long aspired for? If so, here is a chance for you to brag about your own achievements too. A lot of colleges and universities are offering now online degrees. Many of these degrees are accelerated and low-cost in nature and if you can earn a degree online (and that too within 8-9 months) that is equivalent to those on-campus degrees; you can also ignite envy of others on Facebook. Here are some secret tips to do that.

Educational Status Update: You have noticed the Education and Work subsection in the Info section of your Facebook profile. While you start pursuing an online degree, update that section and see what happens next. Your friends and acquaintances would start asking you the cost and other aspects of that course. Now is your turn to let them know the advantages of the e-degree, the low-cost compared to the on-campus degree etc.

Celebrate Your Achievements: Facebook is the best place in the virtual world to show your friends and acquaintances whenever you reach a new milestone. Online colleges do not confer certificates to the successful students amidst hundreds of people who are nonchalant about that matter. After completing your online criminal justice degree or something, just post status update like, 'I have just passed XYZ course from XYZ online college'. Take pleasure in getting flooded with congratulatory messages and wishes. It's your time for rejoicing.

Guerilla Boasting: Just go to a friend's photo album where he or she has shared pictures of his university convocation seminar. Congratulate your friend and add that you have also earned a degree online and you know what it feels like. However, if you can get a scope for mentioning the low-cost and the flexibility of the course, do that. You will find many people are trying to know more about these online degree programs which is in a way enriching your profile status.

Add Honorific: When you get post-graduated from an online college or something, add an honorific before your name such as 'Master' or 'PhD'. This will automatically reflect your achievements and you will find people suddenly getting inquisitive about you. Is this what you have craved for long?

Take Part in Discussions: However, you should not blatantly brag but be modest in your tone and approach. Take part in active discussions and show them how you have benefitted from the virtual degree. Encourage others to ask you questions and patiently answer each and every question and get social. Remember, barefaced bragging would reach you nowhere. Learn to become a part of the online community.

If you are still dreaming about pursuing higher studies, it's time to wake up. Online degrees can be easily pursued online without impeding your working life. Just go on the web and find out more. Alternatively, log in to your FB account and you will surely discover someone in your friend list who is either pursuing or has already completed this higher studies online and who is just like you, working somewhere.

Earth Day 2012: How Online MBA Students Are Protecting the Environment

Earth Day first came about in 1970 on March 21 - the first day of spring. The concept was pioneered by John McConnell at a UNESCO Conference. At about the same time a separate Earth Day was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson. The aim of this day is to focus on the environment and work towards the protection of the planet. Earth Day has grown to be coordinated globally by The Earth Day Network and is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year. Today, the protection of the environment is of utmost importance. With a global population of over 6 billion, we are running out of resources fast.

This year Earth day will be celebrated on April 22. Different communities came together and contributed in various ways to protect the environment. However, just one day in the year is not enough to sufficiently reduce the damage that we are causing to this planet. It requires a change in lifestyle to reduce our carbon footprints and proactively work towards improving the way we treat Planet Earth.

As Americans we spend a lot of resources on an act as simple as travelling. The average American drives 37 miles every day. Taking this into consideration, an MBA student is most likely to drive 15-20 miles a day to and from school; let's say 17miles. That's 85 miles a week, 340 miles a month and 3230 miles per MBA school year! With the price of gas in California averaging around $4, that's almost $12,920. That's a lot of money spent and an even larger carbon footprint created.

Students who take up online MBA programs contribute a great deal to reducing our average carbon footprint. Since they don't drive to and from their school every day, they reduce the amount of harmful emissions into the air by a substantial amount. Online MBA programs allow them to learn from the convenience of their homes. They can attend lectures, consult with faculty and give exams in the same manner. They don't lose out either. There are various accredited online MBA programs which hold the same value as fulltime MBA courses and are also much more affordable. In fact, online MBA courses have several perks. They are flexible in nature, allowing students to learn in environments that they are comfortable with and at a pace that suits them.

Even those students who are enrolled in Hybrid MBA programs are saving the planet far more than the average student. A Hybrid MBA program is one which has part on-campus, part online coursework. This also includes a substantially less amount of driving and wasting gas.

In another aspect of saving the environment, students who enrol in online MBA programs use far less paper than other students. Their exams are conducted online and their notes are distributed via the Internet. Also classrooms that facilitate hundreds of students have a footprint of their own. Tens and hundreds of classrooms require central air-conditioning, a cost which is no longer a burden to the planet when it comes to online MBA universities.

Five Essential Tips for Success in Online Classrooms

Online classrooms offer you the flexibility and convenience that traditional classrooms can't. On campus, you cannot expect to see a student roaming around campus, attending classes at the time that suits him/her best. There is a fixed time to do every activity ranging from attending classes to completing assignments and giving tests as scheduled by the educational administrators.

Online classrooms encourage communication and interaction between the teacher and the students and amongst students themselves. Classrooms conducted over the internet are extremely dynamic in nature and is evolving through new innovations with each passing day. With online classes in place, teachers have got the advantage of communicating with the learners anytime they feel like. Learners can also converse with the teacher, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, even after the end of a class or before the beginning of the next one.

Let's look at tips that lead to success in online classrooms.

Be Comfortable Communicating Online

Web-based learning calls for a better communication level. It means you have to be comfortable enough talking with instructors and other students in a virtual environment. Often, a student confronts problems when attending online classes since most of them are habituated with a face-to-face, onsite classroom setup.

Be Tech-savvy

One of the vital aspects of attending online classrooms is that people have to be a little tech-savvy to browse through the course catalogs, examination details, and so on. They should know how to download learning materials from the website as well as share text books with other fellow classmates.

Be Proactive

Students need to be that much proactive in a virtual class just like they happen to be when attending a regular class in schools and colleges. Students should ask questions to the instructor when in doubt and should also regularly participate in online forum to discuss about any learning material with the fellow classmates.

Stay in Contact with Your Teacher

In online classrooms where you cannot see your instructor physically, you should make it a point to stay in constant touch with your teacher to get things right. You should always contact your teacher to know when to submit a specific assignment or a project and clear doubts regarding any learning documents or coursework.

Be Realistic About Budgeting Your Time