Both dedicated online universities and traditional brick and mortar schools offer the chance to learn over the Internet. Whether you intend to take just a few courses online or go through a full degree program, there are a few things to consider.

Many of the benefits of online classes are obvious and have been stated time and time again. These include flexibility in your schedule, a wide range of courses and degree programs to choose from, and the ability to work through material largely at your own pace. Online courses are normally carefully developed not only by professors but also by experts in online education and course design. This helps to ensure that every lesson and piece of material is easily understandable and as educational as possible.

Online courses also have some disadvantages as well. Lack of interaction is one: although there are discussion boards and interactive lessons in most online classes, you don’t have in-person day-to-day interaction with peers and teachers. Also, online education is sometimes considered inferior to brick and mortar education. In the past, online schools were often viewed as less academically prestigious. This preconception is starting to change as more people embrace the benefits of online education.

Another possible disadvantage that may not be as apparent initially is that you have to be more self-motivated when taking an online class. Without having to physically report to school, you need to take the initiative to find yourself a quiet place to attend online classes and dedicate yourself to learning. In a busy world, setting aside this time can be a challenge.

Natural or man-made disasters can strike at any time, so it's important to be prepared. This means being informed, having emergency preparedness plans, and keeping a fully assembled emergency survival kit in an accessible location. Here are some tips that can help you get started.

Always keep a battery-powered or hand-crank radio in a convenient location and mark the emergency channel. Subscribe to school district and government text alerts for emergency warnings and updates.

Keep at least a month's supply of food and water in your home in a cool, dry location. Rotate out foods prior to expiration. Replace your water supply every six months. Additional/backup survival kits for work, car, and other important areas are also recommended. Keep your car fully gassed or charged at all times.

Decide how family members will contact each other in case of disaster. All essential phone numbers, including home phone, family cell numbers, emergency numbers (911 in the U.S.), and emergency contact numbers should be written down and programmed on all cell phones. Keep cell phones charged on a regular basis. Call 911 only for an immediate, life-threatening emergency.

Write down an evacuation plan for your home and decide on an emergency location to reunite if your family gets separated. Include emergency location, all names with birthdates and social security numbers, medical information, ICE and other phone numbers, emergency contacts, and all work/school locations. Give a copy to every member of the family along with cash to pay for transportation if needed.

Choose an out-of-state emergency contact to be called first in case of a disaster (in-state contacts may be hindered by the same disaster). Your contact should know your ICE numbers and other emergency information, including potential medical issues. Be familiar with text messaging, email, and networking sites in case phone service is out. During disasters, phone services can become overburdened, so it is preferable to use text messages if you must communicate.

For Pet Owners

Keep all tags up to date and formulate an emergency transportation plan. Be sure to keep pet food and medication in your emergency survival kit so that your pets will be well taken care of. If you must evacuate your house, take your pets with you if possible. Many emergency shelters do not accept animals, so research options ahead of time.

Emergency Survival Kit

Prepare an emergency survival kit with all of the essentials you might need in an emergency. Here are some suggestions of things to include in it:

• Flashlight with spare batteries
• First aid kit
• Cell phone and charger
• Battery powered AM/FM radio with spare batteries
• Car powered electric outlet
• Prescription medications
• Three days to two weeks of nonperishable food per person (include baby food/formula and diapers for infants and pet food for pets)
• At least one gallon of water per individual per day (for at least two weeks)
• Can opener
• Eating utensils, cups, plates, etc.
• Toilet paper and feminine supplies
• Paper towels
• Disinfectant, hand sanitizer, garbage bags, and wet wipes
• Whistle and flares
• Dust masks
• Duct tape and plastic sheeting
• Wrench, pliers, screwdriver, hammer, ax, shovel, rope
• Rain gear
• Portable fire extinguisher
• Tent
• Magnetic compass
• Waterproof matches
• Candles
• Eyedropper or medicine dropper
• Unscented chlorine bleach with no cleaning additives (dilute one part bleach with nine parts water to disinfect; to sanitize water, use 6 drops of bleach per gallon of water)
• Essential documents in waterproof container (e.g., family insurance policies, bank/tax records, driver’s licenses, Social Security cards, wills, deeds, birth and marriage certificates, etc)
• Money (cash) plus traveler's checks and spare change
• Paper and pens/pencils
• Relevant maps
• Spare keys

For cold areas, be sure to have these:

• Jackets/Coats
• Long sleeve shirts and heavy pants
• Hiking shoes
• Hats and gloves
• Sleeping bags and/or warm blankets

Preparation for Specific Disasters

No universal plan covers all problems, so consider preparation for specific disasters that pertain to your geographic location.

Earthquake

• Designate safe spots for earthquake protection (e.g., under heavy table or in empty hallway). Practice earthquake drills several times a year.
• Keep a pair of shoes under each bed in case of broken glass.
• Secure water heaters, bookshelves, top-heavy objects, and overhead lights.
• Know how to turn off gas and water to house.
• Keep heavy objects on lower shelves away from beds, sofas, chairs, etc.
• Keep breakable, poisonous, and flammable objects in closed containers away from beds, sofas, chairs, etc.
• Evaluate foundation of home and other potential dangers (e.g., bricks, chimneys, etc.) and reinforce if needed.
• Install flexible pipe fittings.

Tsunami

• Know your home's distance from sea level.
• Check radio for tsunami alerts.
• Know nearest elevated location and practice evacuation drills.

Fire

• Install smoke alarms (change batteries annually and check functioning with day light savings time).
• Practice rolling out of bed and crawling to avoid smoke inhalation.
• Practice fire escape plan (move through house with eyes closed). Have two exits for each room and at least two exits out of home. Keep keys in dead bolts at all times.
• Move flammable objects away from all escape routes.
• Practice stop, drop, and roll (to put out fire if clothes are burning).
• Keep escape ladder for second floors or higher.
• Keep fire extinguisher in accessible location and know how to use it.
• Put decals in windows to alert fire fighters about pets.
• Clean chimneys annually.
• Install spark arresters in chimneys and stovepipes.
• Keep roof and gutters clean.
• Install mesh screen under house, decks, etc.
• Grow fire-resistant plants and clear dry vegetation.

Flood

• Elevate furnace, water heater, and fuse box.
• Install check valves in drains.
• Seal and waterproof basement walls.

Hurricane or Tornado

• Have a designated shelter (stocked with food and water if possible).
• Watch for dark green skies, excessive hail, large clouds close to ground, loud roaring.
• Check radio and television for weather updates.

Pandemic and Contagion

• Keep vaccinations up to date.
• Wash hands or use hand sanitizer regularly.
• Avoid crowded areas.
• Wear face masks.
• Buy HEPA filters (standalone or for furnace duct).

Terrorism and Chemical Disaster

• Avoid suspicious substances or packages.
• Designate shelter area (room with no windows on highest floor) and have evacuation plan.
• To block chemicals from entering doors, windows, and ventilation ducts, use plastic sheeting (pre-cut to fit each opening) and attach and seal using duct tape.

Sources

Be Informed (2012) FEMA

Tips for Communicating Before, During, and After Disasters (2011) Federal Communications Commission

Be Red Cross Ready (2009) American Red Cross

How Would You Survive for 72 Hours? (2012) San Francisco Department of Emergency Management

Disaster Preparedness (2012) ASPCA

The Internet can be a great tool for geting an education or doing business. With the high number of people using the Internet in their everyday lives, however, scammers have come up with methods to take advantage of this captive audience. These scams, which largely happen online, go by the catch-all title “phishing.”

Types of Phishing

By far the most common type of phishing comes in the form of fraudulent emails. In these emails, the user is tricked into sending the scammer their email password, birth date, social security number, bank account information, or some other sensitive info. The scammer then uses this information to steal the person’s money or identity, to use for themselves or to sell to other thieves.

Many phishing scams work by convincing the recipient that something negative will occur if they don’t send their personal information right away. This could be in the form of a fake email from a bank, stating that they are upgrading their servers and require your account information; other example scams include emails from one’s school IT department requesting an email password in lieu of deleting your account. Other emails contain links to spoofed websites, such as fake bank sites or fake PayPal login pages; if the email recipient clicks on the link and enters their information, the thieves can steal their username and password.

Along with emails and fake websites, similar scams can come through text message, voicemails, phone calls, and even faxes. Pop-up windows are another common phishing scam; clicking links in pop-ups can send you to spoof websites or place malware on your computer.

Protecting Yourself From Phishing Scams

• Be Skeptical & Call to Check: If you receive an email with an urgent message similar to known phishing scams, call the supposed author of the email, whether it be your financial institution, school, or some other entity. This will let you confirm your suspicions, and also gives you the chance to alert them to the scam. Such organizations will never ask for such personal information over email.
• Don’t Click Links in Suspicious Messages: Fake websites can be incredibly similar to the real ones, to the point that they use copied images or URLs; pop up windows can even copy the entirety of a legitimate web page. If you want to go to a URL in an email link, type the URL into your address bar yourself, rather than clicking on the possibly fake link.
• Read Emails in Plain Text: Reading your emails in plain text will allow you to spot any fake website URLs, and it can also protect your computer from trojans, worms, and other viruses. Plain text allows you to see the URLs of images embedded in the email, so you can see if the URL is legitimate or not. HMTL and non-plain text formats can also hide malicious trojans and worms in the code.
• Never Reply: Do not reply to phishing messages, even to say that you know it is a scam. Delete the email and then empty your email’s trash. Replying simply lets the scammer know that they have found a legitimate email account.

Reporting Phishing

There are several ways to report phishing and alert agencies to phishing attacks.

• Alert the entity being impersonated: If your school, bank, or another organization has been spoofed in an email, alerting them is the right tack to take. The organization can then let others know about the scam so they don’t fall victim, and they can work to find the offender.
• Alert the authorities: US-CERT, the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, collects phishing emails to help protect people from being scammed. You can also report scams to the Federal Trade Commission. The FBI also has an Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Sources

IU (2012)

UMN (2012)

There are more credit card options out there than can be listed here. It seems that almost every store, hotel and airline has their own branded card, not to mention the various business and personal options from the banks themselves. So how can you choose the best card for you? The following is a list of ways to help you decide between the myriad of credit cards out there:

• How You’ll Use It – This is perhaps the most important consideration to nail down before you apply for cards. Are you using a card in order to make a large purchase that you can’t fund out of pocket? Then you’ll be carrying a balance and want to find a card with a low interest rate. On the other hand, if you’re merely using a card for airline miles or some other perk and you’re not going to carry a balance, then the annual percentage rate (APR) isn’t as crucial.
• Interest Rate (or APR) – The interest rate you’ll be eligible for may depend on your credit score, the general economic situation and the special promotions that the cards are offering. Many banks have introductory promotions with a 0 percent interest rate for a certain number of months; this would obviously be an excellent choice for individuals who plan to carry a balance on their cards. You should make note of when this promotional rate ends, so that you don’t accidentally get hit with interest charges. Regular credit card interest rates can range all the way up to a massive 30 percent and most cards reserve the right to increase your interest rate with only 30 days notice. Remember to read the fine print when researching a card’s interest rate.
• Fees – There are a few fees to watch out for.
  • One is the annual fee. Many cards charge $40 and up for the privilege of possessing the card; depending on the perks you get from your card, it may or may not be a wise decision for you to apply for a card with an annual fee.
  • Some cards also have fees for balance transfers. This is especially pertinent to individuals trying to take advantage of low-interest rate cards; make sure that the fee incurred doesn’t offset any potential savings you were expecting.
  • Another common fee is the foreign transaction fee which is charged when you use your card abroad. The typical fee is 3 percent on all foreign transactions. If you plan on traveling abroad, it’s probably worth it to search out a card with no fee.
• Perks – Most cards these days come with some incentive to draw you into using that particular card. Airline-mile signup bonuses have been a big draw lately, along with 1-to-5 percent cash back offers on all spending. Some cards include primary or secondary rental car coverage when you use the card to make a reservation; others include trip insurance when you book a trip using the card. You’ll want to align the perks you look for with your primary use of the card. 

Using Credit Cards Responsibly

• Make Payments on Time – The most important aspect of responsible credit card use is to make payments on time, even if you just pay the minimum amount. Late payments can hurt your credit score and cause the card company to raise your interest rate or charge a fee.
• Use a Budget – Especially if you have issues with overspending, it’s important to incorporate your credit card use into an overall budget plan. Use a free web service to track your spending or do it yourself with a spreadsheet. This helps remind you that credit card spending is real money from your pocket, not a convenient way to live beyond your means.
• Beware the Debt Snowball – In most instances, credit cards are not a great way to finance large purchases. The interest rates are sky high and any balance can quickly balloon way beyond its original size. The easiest way to avoid crushing credit card debt is to pay your entire balance in full every month.

Sources

Utah State University Extension (1998)

GetRichSlowly.org (2006)            

Drought is defined as a lengthy period of low precipitation, a lack of groundwater over an extended amount of time or an insufficient availability of water to sustain crops. Droughts can occur naturally in virtually any climate and, while they can be brief, droughts can also exist for long-term periods (such as months or even years). A weekly summary of drought and precipitation conditions in the United States is available online.

The most frequent cause of drought is a prolonged lack of rainfall, usually caused by high-pressure systems that displace water vapor necessary for cloud condensation and rain and allow more sunlight to evaporate groundwater. Droughts can occur when ocean winds fail to provide precipitation. Because environmental greenhouse gases can exacerbate dry conditions, climate change has become a major contributor to long-term drought. As the effects of climate change grow more significant over time, associated droughts will become increasingly severe and commonplace.

Impacts

While the overall impact of a drought can range from mild to severe depending on its length and magnitude, many different problems can arise from long periods of dry conditions. With serious droughts, the availability of water for people, livestock and crops can shrink considerably, forcing widespread water rationing and severe agricultural losses. Over time, these losses can result in decreased availability of food and increased prices. Due to excessive dryness of plants, wildfires and dust storms are also more likely to occur.

In 2011, a catastrophic drought, known as the Southwestern Drought, affected more than 70 percent of Texas (recorded as the driest year in Texas history) as well as 55 percent of Oklahoma and other areas in nearby states. Massive selloffs of cattle ensued, with some ranches shutting down altogether. The cotton crop was severely impacted and because more than half of all cotton grown in the U.S. comes from Texas, both American and world markets were affected. Corn, wheat, peanuts, and even pumpkins were decimated. Numerous out-of-control wildfires destroyed large areas of cropland and property and huge dust storms caused further damage. Financial loss to ranchers and farmers ran in the billions of dollars. In addition, in some towns in Texas, water sources dried up to the point that drinking water was no longer available, so bottled water had to be trucked in on a daily basis and property values plummeted.

Long-term droughts can also result in severe water loss to rivers and lakes. Hydroelectric dams (which require vast amounts of water to function) can lose their sources of power, sometimes leading to blackouts. Fragile ecosystems can be damaged or destroyed and wells can go dry. Saltwater can migrate inland and contaminate water supplies. Competition and conflict can arise between farms and cities in different states that rely on the same water resources.

Locations

As can be seen at the NOAA Satellite and Information Service, annual precipitation can fluctuate greatly across location and time. Long-term climatic droughts are particularly common in arid regions, including the Southwest (Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas), West (Nevada and California), Northern Rockies and Plains (Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska), and smaller locations, such as eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, and southern Idaho. Compared to the average annual national rainfall (42.5 inches), the Southwest averages 14.12 inches, the West 15.87 inches and the Northern Rockies nearly 18 inches annually. During years of low precipitation from a lack of ocean winds, Southeastern regions such as Georgia and Florida sometimes experience serious droughts, despite generally receiving more rainfall (about 51.38 inches annually). Groundwater depletion and significantly lowered water tables are now affecting numerous areas (such as the high plains – including the Ogallala aquifer – Atlantic coastal plain, Gulf coastal plain, Southwest desert, west-central Florida, Chicago-Milwaukee, and parts of the Pacific Northwest).

It should be noted, however, that no single location is completely immune to drought. While some places are more likely to encounter an extended dry spell than others, throughout American history, droughts have occurred in nearly every region of the country.

Sources

The New York Times (2011)

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (2010)

North Carolina State University (2012)

U.S. Geological Survey (2012)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2000)

You can’t wait around for your business to become a success by accident or happenstance. Or rather, you can, but you’ll likely be waiting for a long time. A business plan is the crucial process of outlining what your business will do and how it will accomplish these goals. It’s an important part of planning for all enterprises.

What is a Business Plan?

Business students and others just starting out in business often wonder how a good idea translates into a business. A business plan involves deep thinking about your business idea and all aspects of how this idea will equal income and success. The point of a business plan is to sit down and really think through the who, what, where, when, and why of your business. Business plans generally include the same basic components: A business description, market analysis, competitor assessment, marketing plan, operating plan, financial plan, and executive summary.

Why Do You Need One?

Now you can see that a formal business plan is much more than a spark of lightning and a few scribbles on the back of a napkin. It’s a careful analysis of all the various components that contribute to the functioning of a business. Making one can be a bit of work. So why should you do it?

There are a few good reasons. For one, putting in the effort to make the plan also requires you to decide what you want the business to look like, and what you ultimately want to get out of it. For most businesses, there are a few routes to success; which values do you want your business to embody? Only once you’ve fully articulated your business will you be able to communicate your mission statement and plans to possible investors and others who might want to help you.

While you may be good at juggling many thoughts and ideas in your head at once, the formal structure of the plan lets you see which areas of the business need your attention right now and which could present possible issues down the road. It helps you plan for the future, so that you don’t invest a lot of time and money into a business only to have it fall apart when a minor or major road bump comes along later.

Creating a Plan

Here you’ll find a brief overview of the major elements of a business plan, so you can get started putting yours together.

• Business Description – This part of the plan will include your mission statement, a brief statement that reflects what issue you are addressing with your business, how you will address the issue and the values that will guide your business.
• Market Analysis – Here you’ll need to research the industry you’ll be entering, including supply chain issues and the target customer you’ll be reaching.
• Competitor Assessment – In this section, you’ll examine your major competitors and profile them. How do your competitors approach the issues of price, marketing, distribution, and what products and features do they offer? 
• Marketing Plan – How will you price your product and distribute it? What advertising or promotions do you need?
• Operating Plan – This part discusses the bones of organizational structure, including who will own and manage the business. Employee and personnel needs, legal issues and physical space issues should also be covered.
• Financial Plan – Here you will describe the current financial standing of the business and projected profits in the future.
• Executive Summary – This is a recap of the business plan and a summary of the important points you have covered in the other sections; it should be no more than one page.

Sources

Purdue University Extension (2012)

University of California: Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources (2012)           

Stanford University: Graduate School of Business (2012)

Women have made big strides when it comes to their education and career options since the 1950s. Gone are the days when women are expected to simply stay home taking care of their families after high school. In fact, women now outnumber men at colleges, graduate schools and the workforce. Yet there is one area in which women are sorely underrepresented: computer science. As reported by The New York Times in 2010, 40 percent of private businesses in the United States are owned by the women but only 8 percent of venture-backed technical start-ups. Only 22 percent of software engineers at tech companies are women. The lack of women in computer science careers can be traced to the lack of women studying computer science in college. In 2009, only 1 percent of women who took the SAT exam planned on majoring in information or computer sciences, compared to 5 percent of men. In 2008, only 18 percent of college students graduating with a degree in computer science majors were women.

As shown by the statistics above, it's a fact that men pursue computer science degrees and work in computer science careers at much larger numbers than women. Why is this so? Scientific research and interviews with those in the field have pointed to several reasons, which include:

An Image Problem

The popular image of those working in computer science careers is that of a geeky, socially awkward, skinny male with glasses. According to Sapna Cheryan, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Washington, this image turns off women and makes them feel that computer science is not for them from a young age. In several experiments conducted with other academics, Cheryan found that women were less interested in working in companies whose environments contained things stereotypically associated with geeky men working in computer science, such as Star Trek posters and video games, than in companies who had more neutral environments. The fact that many companies employing computer science graduates, such as startups in Silicon Valley, do indeed have such stereotypically male environments, such as having foosball and pool tables in the break room, reinforces women's feeling that computer science is not for them.

A Lack of Work-Life Balance

Women across all career fields face the challenge of balancing their jobs with their personal lives. Many women are unwilling to sacrifice family time in exchange for a demanding career. In 2003, The National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) found that 74 percent of women employed in technology reported that they loved their jobs but 56 percent of women leave their jobs at the "mid level" point, which is double the rate for men. The long hours required by many tech companies to get ahead and be promoted means that women who value their personal lives and want to have time for raising a family tend to choose other career routes, such as teaching and government jobs.  

A Lack of Role Models

The lack of women in computer science careers, especially in high-level positions, means a lack of role models for young women to look up to. Without many role models, women do not see themselves as having a place in computer science, which only continues the cycle of under-representation.

These are just some of the reasons why men outnumber women in computer science. Women's low numbers in computer science should not hinder interested women from pursuing computer science careers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job prospects for computer scientists are expected to be excellent, with growth between 2008 to 2018 to jump 24 percent. The average wage for computer and information research scientists in May 2010 was $103,150. As the NCWIT report shows, an overwhelming majority of women in technology love their jobs. Considering the benefits, the key is to find an employer who makes an effort to have a women-friendly environment, provides work-life balance, and provides female mentors.

Sources:

Why So Few Women in Silicon Valley? (2010) The New York Times.

Sapna Cheryan Research Projects. (2012) Sapna Cheryan.

Women in IT: The Facts. (2010) National Center for Women and Information Technology.

Computer Scientists. (2009) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Computer and Information Research Scientists. (2010) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

If you don’t need to consider cost when looking at online college courses, good for you! You can skip this article. For the rest of us, the amount of green we’re going to have to shell out is certainly one aspect to consider when it comes to online education. Distance learning can be surprisingly cost effective, however, in some ways you probably hadn’t previously considered. Check out these top five ways that an online degree can help you save.

Choose the Cheapest Degree For You—No Matter Where It Is

In the era before online school, going back to get a degree meant one of two things: moving to a new location, or paying whatever the local college was charging. With distance learning, this is no longer the case. You can enroll in a degree program anywhere in the country without having to upset your current life. This means you can compare prices as you would for any other big purchase, and choose a degree program that makes the most financial sense. (abclocal.com)

Keep on Working

There’s a sneaky hidden cost of going back to traditional school that many people never take into account: the amount of time that classes will cut into their work day. Suddenly, students aren’t only paying for tuition, they are also taking a pay cut due to the decreased hours they are able to work every week. Most online schools offer classes at night, after most people have gotten home from the office, or you can choose a program with a flexible schedule so that you can fit classes in when it works best for you. (abclocal.com)

Avoid the Dreaded Moving

If there’s one seemingly unavoidable pain in life, it’s moving. From spending time finding a new place, to paying for moving vans, the security deposit, and the installation of the phone and Internet, moving can be both a major headache and a major cost. With online school, there’s no need to move across the country to attend the college of your dreams. (abclocal.com)

Quit Commuting

Unless you’re going to live on campus, attending a traditional college means extra driving or commuting. And along with this extra commuting comes increased spending for gas or metro tickets. Those little costs can add up to thousands over the course of a year. Not only do you save the wasted time stuck in traffic or trying to find a bus seat, online college also means you pocket this extra cash. (abclocal.com)

Spend Less on Childcare

Unless you’re lucky enough to have a free source of childcare, like a work-from-home spouse or a gracious family member, you’re going to have to consider who will watch your children while you’re at school. That is, if you attend traditional classes. With online classes, you can still attend to important life obligations, like caring for your family—school fits around your schedule. Even if you still decide to shell out for extra help, it will still cost less because you won’t have to factor in the extra time of commuting to class. (abclocal.com)

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Wait! Don’t sign up for those online classes unless you know what you’re in for. Online college courses come in all shapes and sizes, and the skill set needed for any type of distance learning is a bit different than what you’ve gotten used to in traditional school. Read on to learn the details and to learn how to do your best in your new program.

The Flavors of Online Learning

Online learning is alas, a very limited metaphorical ice cream shop. It only comes in four flavors. These different classes have big implications for distance learning students, however.

Hybrid In-Person and Online Programs
These programs are exactly what they sound like. Some of the requirements take place in a traditional classroom setting, while others may be completed online. The details will vary between school and program; some may have one lecture a week online and one in-person, while others have all lectures in person and just allow quizzes and homework to be turned in online. These programs may be better suited to people who perform well in traditional classroom settings. (ed.gov)

Synchronous Online Learning
In these programs, all coursework is conducted online. Students have to log on at certain times to watch lectures, chat with professors, or to complete other assignments. In this way, they are similar to traditional programs, except that you can attend from the comfort of your home. These programs are good for students who want more structure in an online curriculum. (ed.gov)

Asynchronous Online Learning
There’s no need to log on at any certain time in these programs. While there are deadlines, students can get their work done on their own time, as long as they complete it by the expected date. These programs are well suited to people with erratic or unpredictable schedules. (ed.gov)

Self-Paced Independent Courses
You’re on your own here. While these courses provide you with a syllabus and class materials, what you do and when you do it is up to you. These are great for people who want the maximum amount of freedom in their program. They do, however, require a large amount of self-motivation. (ed.gov)

Necessary Skills For Online Classes

• Self-Motivation: Online schools, especially ones with more self-paced programs, demand a high level of maturity of their students. There’s not going to be anyone around goading you to finish your assignments -- it’s up to you to get it done. (unf.edu)
• Time Management: If you’re going to continue working and taking care of your family while you're in school you better be very good at planning. The ability to avoid wasting time is very important for busy online students. (unf.edu)
• Organization: Just because your class work and assignments are online, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s any easier to stay organized. Online students can benefit from printing out important materials and keeping them organized and at hand. (unf.edu)

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Education is a booming industry, and just like traditional college, online learning can be very expensive. That doesn’t mean you have to go into debt to pay for your college degree -- it just means you have to be smart about how you prepare for school and pick a college. Here’s a quick how-to guide for making online schools affordable.

Pick a Program Within Your Budget

The best thing you can do for yourself, in terms of paying for school, takes place before you ever enroll in classes. Comparison shop, and find a program that fits both your educational goals and your budget. Online colleges can range widely in how much they charge for the exact same degrees. There are some great deals out there if you just keep your eyes open. Northeastern University, a respected brick and mortar college, offers a very affordable online bachelor’s program: it’s $49,000 for the entire degree. That might sound like a lot, until you realize that’s how much you would pay for one year of tuition and room and board at an in-person private college. (npr.org)

Get Federal Funding

The U.S. Department of Education provides federal financial aid for students who are going back to school. How can you get your paws on some of these grants, subsidized, and unsubsidized loans? First, you have to pick a school that participates in the DoE’s program. Ask the financial aid officer at the online university you’re considering, if you’re not sure. Then, fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) six to eight months before you enroll in school.

Get Funding Through Your College

Many colleges have their own source of financial aid for students: the university endowment. Closely examine the school’s policy on aid: Is it merit-based, need-based, or some mixture of the two? If you’re on a limited income, attending an online degree program with a need-based aid program is certainly to your advantage. (ed.gov)

Apply For Outside Scholarships

Hundreds of nonprofit organizations, companies, and even large corporations offer scholarships to college students. Since there are so many scholarships out there, however, you will want to strategize when selecting the ones you apply to. First, look for scholarships that specifically offer money to students in your local community. A limited applicant pool will work to your advantage and increase your chances of winning. Next, pick out scholarships that are for people with your specific background, interests, or abilities. Are you an expert underwater gardener? Definitely fill out the scholarship application from the local Northeast Boonsville Underwater Gardening Association. After you’ve filled out those scholarships, then you can take aim at the larger, nationwide scholarship competitions. (students.gov)

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