Stay At Home Moms – Online College Programs and Careers
Not everyone has the luxury of attending a four-year university, living in the dormitory or near campus, and attending school full time – especially working moms with family responsibilities. Fortunately, an explosion of online academic programs has made it possible for working moms or even stay-at-home moms to attend school without disrupting their daily routines, and using their earned degrees to work from home and earn money.
Choose Your School
While there are many schools offering online degrees, some schools will be taken more seriously by employers. Schools with the best reputations, widely accredited standing, professional development programs, and an established alumni network will look better. In our “Best Resources” section, we have provided a list of some of the most well-known, accredited, and respected schools with their respective degree programs for you to consider.
For example, at Westwood College or DeVry University, students can attend a combination of online classes, weekend classes and evening classes and earn a technical certificate or associates, bachelors, or masters degree. The transcript will not broadcast the fact that the degree was achieved primarily through online classes, so it appears more “legitimate” to employers, even though the amount of work is basically the same.
Choose Your Program
Getting an exclusively online degree can only be done in certain fields. Fields like biology, nursing, dental hygiene and many others will require laboratory hours that require the student to travel to the school at a designated or arranged time. Research your field of interest to be sure it is possible to obtain that degree online before enrolling in the program and wasting time and money. The best way to do this is to request as much information and free brochures as you can, which are available on our site for your benefit. Check out our School Profiles for Degree and Program Information.
Know Your Learning Style
Getting an online degree requires a significant amount of self-motivation.
There is not a teacher who knows your face and expects you to show up in class, and it is easier to tune out an online lecture because the teacher cannot tell whether or not you are paying attention or even actually there at your computer. You must have some discipline to read the lessons, learn the material, pay attention to lectures and get the assignments e-mailed on time. However, most people find that their future careers and success help motivate them to do well. But don’t be intimidated; online students are the same as traditional school students, and all occasionally procrastinate and pull all-nighters. It’s sometimes part of the experience.
Also, if you tend to thrive in an environment where you can move at your own pace, communicate with professors and classmates via e-mail, and manage your time well, an online degree program may be exactly what can advance your career. Knowing this can save you time, money and a lot of frustration, and potentially add 10% to 30% to your future salary and advance your career significantly.
In short, online degree programs have opened doors and opportunities for working moms and stay-at-home parents (even stay-at-home dads), but each person should be aware of their options on colleges, degrees, and programs and aware of what an online degree program will entail as far as commitment to decide if this is the best choice.
