Photo by cygnus921/John

Before you commit yourself to enrolling in any class or program, there are four questions that you should consider. Specifically, these questions are: where is the location of the class and is it convenient for your needs, how much flexibility does the instructor allow in attendance, what are the pre-requisites for the class and what are the total costs involved in enrolling? You’ll save yourself time, money and anguish by asking these questions upfront. Signing up for a class means a considerable commitment on your part, so do your homework before signing up.

1. Determine whether the location of the class is convenient for you. This includes taking into consideration the time class begins and the time it ends. Typically, continuing education classes will be held in the evening due to adults working during the day. Will you be able to realistically get to class on time based on your work/childcare commitments? Is there an online version of the class available if there is a conflict with your schedule?

2. How much flexibility is allowed by the instructor? Your needs as an adult student are far different than those of traditional college-age students. Ask these questions of your instructor: How many days am I allowed to miss? Does the instructor offer a make-up class for those who might miss? Am I allowed to leave class early or arrive late? It’s best to be up-front with your professor if you think your prior commitments might interfere with getting to class on time. There’s no point enrolling in a class if you will be in constant conflict with your instructor about attendance requirements. Also, inquire about how often your instructor holds office hours to meet with students if they have questions about the course material, especially if you think you might have trouble understanding the concepts that will be covered in the course.

3. Identify the prerequisites for the class. The prerequisites are listed along with the class description in the course catalog and will indicate other classes that should be taken before enrolling. You may be unenrolled from the class if you don’t meet the pre-requisites,so don’t think you’re pulling a fast one by signing up for a class when you don’t have the pre-requisites. Besides, the class will likely be a very frustrating experience for you if you don’t already have the basic knowledge needed for the theory aspect of the course.

4. Calculate costs. Besides tuition, there are other costs associated with taking a class. Textbooks are very expensive, but you may also need other equipment such as graphing calculators to complete your course. May sure you identify all costs associated with a course to avoid any unpleasant surprises. Some online schools even make you purchase a specific type of laptop to enroll in their classes, so be aware.

By asking these four questions, you will know whether or not signing up for  a class is the right thing for you at this stage of your life. If things are just too hectic right now, it’s better to put off signing up for a class until things are a bit calmer in your life. You owe it to yourself and your instructor to bring your best game to the class. Don’t just make a half-hearted attempt because you just “think” signing up would be a good thing to do. Do the research first, and go into furthering your education with your eyes wide open.

Photo by Ron Miguel

Online education is becoming a better option for working students all the time. You attend classes on your own schedule, when it’s convenient for you, not just when it’s convenient for the instructor. When you are checking into attending an online school, you need to be aware of certain criteria that can make or break your educational experience.

1) Is the school accredited? Before you check into anything else about an online college, this is the number one criteria that you must investigate. Too many students have ploughed thousands of dollars and countless hours of time into online programs only to find the value of their degrees absolutely worthless upon graduation. The U.S. Department of Education website maintains this valuable database of accredited post-secondaryinstitutions and  programs. Take the time to check if the school you are thinking of attending is on this database. The highest form of accrediation an educational institution is regional accrediation, and there are only six agencies in the U.S. that can confer regional accrediation. Students of regionally accredited schools qualify for U.S. federal student aid, and generally the courses taken at a regionally accredited institution transfer easily to other colleges and universities.

2) What is the total cost of the courses offered? If you think online education should be much cheaper than can be delivered at a brick-and-mortar college, think again. Online courses generally cost as much or more as courses delivered on campus. If you find what seems to be a real bargain, you need to ask yourself why the institution can offer their courses for much less than other schools can. Is it because there is no technical support services available for students if they encounter difficulty with course delivery? Are the instructors in the online school of lesser qualifications than their tradtional counterparts are? Does the online course basically consist of reading a textbook online and answering questions? If any these are true, the program may not be such a bargain.

3) What is the school’s experience delivering online classes? If a school has many online courses to offer, it’s generally a good sign that they have significant experience with delivering classes online. If only a few courses are delivered online by the school, it may be that neither the school or the instructor has any significant experience delivering courses online. Yes, this does make a difference. An instructor who may be witty and challenge his/her students in a face-to-face delivery situation maybe very dry and boring delivering online classes. Ask if you can speak to some of the students enrolled in an online school or program about their experiences.

4)What is the retention rate for the program? What is the graduation rate for the program? If many students enroll in online schools, but tend to quickly drop out, and even fewer go on to graduation, this should be a major red-flag for you. Any school should be able to tell you what their retention and graduation rates are. This is important for prospective students of any post-secondary program, whether online or a traditional program.

5) What are the credential of the instructors? More experienced instructors are generally better instructors. Do they have specific training in online delivery methods? Also, what are the educational levels of the instructors? Generally, you will get a better course delivered from someone holding at least a Master’s degree. Any lesser degree level attained by your instructor should be viewed with skepticism.

6) What is the ratio of students to instructors? Just like with face-to-face delivery, the ratio of students to instructors is very important. If you find out that there are a hundred students enrolled in your online class and only one instructor, don’t even waste your time with the course.

7) What delivery methods are used? 21st century techology is available to us all; your school should use it if they specialize in online courses. Possible delivery methods include using videos, web conferencing, instant messaging, blogs and more. Don’t settle for some stagnant course developed ten years ago that has never kept up with current online technologies.

In summary, do your homework before you plunk down your hard-earned cash for an online degree. A little due-diligence upfront can save you a lot of headaches, and wasted time and money.

Photo by Justin Taylor

Lately, I have been struggling with the question of whether or not going into debt for college is really worth it. When you see thousands who invested in themselves via taking out student loans now out of work, you really have to ask yourself this. On one hand, the college experience itself is a path of self-discovery. You learn how to multi-task well while completing projects under strict deadlines; how to express yourself orally and in writing and gain confidence in your own intellectual abilities. For someone just out of high school, learning this skill set is essential to future success in any career. However, when you have lived life a little bit, don’t a lot of these things come naturally?

But there is the double-edged sword. You can have all the skills and then some of your college-educated colleagues, but you will be passed up at promotion time because you lack that sheepskin.  An individual has to carefully weigh out the benefits and risks inherent with going back to college. Since most adult students are paying for their educations themselves, choosing the right program and college becomes even more critical.

Don’t put yourself into debt without a clear picture of how you are going to pay back that money when you graduate. You have to research whether or not your shiny new degree is going to allow you to make enough money to pay back your loans. Just because you have always wanted a degree in say, history, does not mean that getting it will be a paying proposition. This can be a hard thing to hear, but it must be said. Will your new degree allow you to pay off debt with public service? Teachers serving for a specified period of time in areas where there is a critical demand for qualified teachers may have this option. Those going into nursing may be able to exchange loan repayment with signing on with a hospital for a number of years of service. Some employers may re-imburse their employeeds tutition for attending an approved program. Look to see if options like these might be available to you before you put yourself into deep debt.

So is going back to college worth it? It certainly can be if you do your research well. Don’t forget the option of a two-year degree when you’re doing your research either. Many lucrative careers can be launched with a two-year degree, especially in medical fields with high demands for graduates such as registered nurses or physical therapy assistants. These degrees will get you into your chosen field a lot more quickly while accumulating less debt than you would attaining a four-year degree.

I have to give a plug to Nate Desmond over at Debtfree Scholar. Nate has written a very thoughtful review of Marc Scheer’s book No Sucker Left Behind:Avoiding the Great College Rip-Off. Nate says that Scheer dispells many myths about college, and exposes some very expensive practices of colleges that show very little regard for the best interests of their students. It sounds like required reading for anyone contemplating attending college. Nate is also giving away a copy of the book for anyone interested.