Associate
Degree Online
You've already heard all of the reasons that you should complete your
education through a distance-learning program, and now you're ready to
do so. But finding a suitable program is not as easy as some websites
would lead you to believe. That's because many colleges and
universities have entrance requirements that you might not be able to
meet. For example, it's common for four-year schools to require
prospective students to submit ACT or SAT scores along with their
applications. In addition, with more people wanting to get a college
education than ever before, there's no guarantee that you will even be
admitted to the school of your choice -- especially if you don't have a
stellar academic record to bolster your credentials. For an alternative
route that could prove to be easier in the long run, I recommend that
you first get an Associate degree online.
There are several important advantages to getting an Associate degree
online before pursuing a Bachelor's. First of all, most of the schools
that offer Associate degrees online are community colleges, which means
that they're open to anyone who is at least 18 years old and has
completed high school (or who has a GED). There are no extra tests to
take, no essays to write, and no rejections to worry about. You can
enroll rather than apply, and you can start earning your Associate
degree online whenever you're ready.
A second important advantage of earning your Associate degree online is
that you'll open up a lot of options for yourself. For example, you
might discover that completing an Associate degree online is enough to
get you the job of your dreams. Not every profession out there requires
a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD; two years of college is enough for you
to get started as a paralegal, medical technician, dental hygienist,
transcriptionist, and more.
Of course, should you want to continue on to a four-year school after
earning your Associate degree online, it would be possible for you to
do so. As long as you attend an accredited school, a significant
portion of your coursework should transfer, which means you would only
have to take two more years worth of classes in order to obtain a
Bachelor's.
That brings us to a third advantage of getting an Associate degree
online first: you'll end up saving a lot of money should you choose to
continue your education at a four-year school. Community colleges are
meant to be accessible to everyone. As such, the tuition is much lower
than anything you would find at a four-year college or university. So
by earning your Associate degree online, you could potentially save
thousands of dollars over taking equivalent classes at a four-year
school.
Wanting to complete your education is definitely a step in the right
direction. But don't just assume that you need to get a Bachelor's
degree in order for your education to mean something. Check out some
programs that will allow you to earn an Associate degree online and see
if that's a better fit for your life at this point.
|
|
