If you’ve decided to get a university education online, here are a few tips to make sure that everything goes smoothly.
Tip 1: Online education has grown into a multi billion dollar industry, and as such it is only to be expected that some unscrupulous characters may be lurking in cyberspace to take advantage of the uninitiated by offering lousy programmes which is virtually useless. So, to be on the safe side, study with a reputable online education university. Ask around among friends, relatives and colleagues to recommend one. In addition, do a search on the Internet for reviews of the online universities you have short listed before making a decision.
Tip 2: Should the online education university be accredited? Well, yes and no. Some institutions of higher learning offers excellent courses but are not accredited because of a myriad of legitimate reasons. Do not equate non accreditation to automatically mean illegitimate. That’s wrong. In cases where you just want to learn some very basic skills, then accreditation won’t be a factor in your decision anyway.
Tip 3: If you want to further your studies for career advancement, find out from the relevant authorities concerned whether the degree you plan to pursue are recognised by them. For example, Miss A is a civil servant and she presently has a diploma. She wants to do an MBA online. She goes to her department head and was told that the MBA would not be recognised simply because the department’s requirement is that she must have a basic degree first before she go for a Master’s degree.
Tip 4: Before signing up, email the shortlisted online university and asked them any questions which you may have about the course you are interested in. See if they have a trial sessions for prospective students. From the promptness of their responses and the way they answer your questions, you should have a good idea what kind of university you are dealing with.
Tip 5: Make sure you go through all the fine prints before signing up. For instance, I was once told that a certain university never inform their students that they would have to do a viva for their final research paper. In the end, many students gave up because getting through a viva is no joke.
Tip 6: Study the course schedule closely and decide whether you have the time and money to complete it. Think through it carefully. Although many online education university tend to use the phrase “study at your own pace”, its not entirely true because you still have deadlines to meet in respect of submitting your assignments.