Ten Mistakes Distance Learners Make

Online education empowers those that normally could not pursue a college education to go back to school and earn their degree: working adults, mothers caring for families, military personnel in the line of active duty, performers always on-the-run, and everyone in between. This education is achieved without sacrificing a person's current lifestyle. Flexibility is the key that makes distance learning stand out from a traditional campus environment.

When the flexibility of an online education lets veterans, parents, businessmen, and recent high school graduates all pursue an accredited, reputable degree at home, or anywhere else you can take a laptop what's not to like? Unfortunately, there are pitfalls that distance learners can suffer from, just like their campus-studying counterparts. Here are some mistakes you will want to avoid making when pursuing your online education:

1. Avoid choosing the wrong school. Educating yourself on national and regional accreditation can help you avoid going to a degree mill that will not provide the rewarding education you deserve. Before enrolling in a distance learning program, make sure the school is accredited by one of the national or regional accreditation agencies; this not only ensures a strong, reliable degree, but eligibilty to transfer your credits elsewhere if necessary. College information centers like Degrees in Healthcare help filter through the mess of degree mills and bring a list of quality colleges right to you in a one-stop, convenient website.

2. Do not procrastinate on deadlines. If you know you have a tendency for procrastination, make sure to crack down on your online classes. Procrastination is the mortal enemy of the flexible online classroom, where a student completes the class at their own pace. Online students that are prone to procrastinating their work often never finish their degree because of a lack of discipline and motivation. Setting weekly or even daily goals and sticking to them greatly helps in facilitating the flexible schedule process.

3. Make sure to connect with peers. A student in an online classroom might not have the face-to-face interaction with other students, but you can still correspond via message boards, chatrooms, and email. Making connections and learning collaboratively is part of the college experience. Make sure to take advantage of the fact you are enrolled in a classroom with several students that are studying the same things are you and potentially share similar interests and goals.

4. Manage your financial expenses for school. Going to college is never cheap. This does not mean, however, that you have to accrue hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt; through scholarships, student discounts (with things as large as a computer and as small as a visit to the theater), and sound financial planning, your college experience can be a cost-effective experience that will pay for itself in the future with your degree. Military students should also take advantage of all the military education financial benefits available.

5. Do not scare future employers. While online education has made major advancements in the past couple of decades, there are employers that still are wary of an online degree. Many employers do not know how to differentiate between a degree mill and a reputable online school. It is in your best interest to not flaunt that you earned your education online when pursuing employment (unless asked, of course!) in order to avoid unnecessary hassle.

6. Make sure to get the credits you have already accumulated. When you attend an online school, you do not necessarily have to start from scratch. Get your transcripts from any previous colleges you have attended and have them sent to the online university so that they can be checked for course equivalency. Some schools also let you receive credit for life experienced by testing you or giving portfolio reviews. It's important to check with your school counselors when you get started to see what you have already completed.

7. Be aware of online resources. There is wealth of knowledge available to help students out on the Internet. Make sure you are aware of the online resources that are available to you. Many universities provide JSTOR as a means of online research. Virtual dictionaries and books, research aid materials, and resources that relate to your specific degree are all valuable tools for learning. These resources could save you money when purchasing equivalent resources that were already available to you at no-charge.

8. Do not stress out. Stress is a serious concern among college students, whether they are distance learners or campus-attending students. Read more about how online- and campus-based universities like Saint Leo University are supporting stress relief programs for their study body to combat this issue. Always remember that you need to leave a little time to unwind between your education and any other life responsibilities you are juggling.

9. Take advantage of the college experience. Just because you are an online student does not mean that you are not entitled to the college student experience. Participate in volunteer work whenever you can to support your degree you can even do volunteer work online through calls for online writing/aid. Be part of the academic events and opportunities your online university provides, like a virtual facebook community or college graduation ceremonies.

10. Do not discredit your education. While it might frighten employers for you to start your educational pitch by telling them you attended an online school, you should not sell yourself short because you acquired your degree via distance learning. When communicating with peers and fellow coworkers about your college experience, be sure to tell them how rewarding and well- rounded of an education you received indeed, without any difference in quality from a traditional campus-based degree.