by Sherry Horton Blake

Created on: January 19, 2009

You have decided to earn your degree online. You are committed to being successful at this endeavor. You would like to know, however, if there are things you can do that will increase your chance of success. The following tips are for you:

Choose your school and degree plan carefully. Make sure that the program you select will meet your expectations. Online colleges and universities offer all types of degrees: Bachelors, Masters, PhDs and all types of certificates.

Find out exactly what prerequisites are required for your selected program. Determine if you already have any credits that you can transfer. Be sure and ask about this upfront. Be aware that some schools have a limit to the amount of credits you can transfer. So that you do not have any unpleasant surprises later, be sure you know exactly what you will be able to transfer.

Make sure the school is accredited by a reputable accreditation agency. Do not take their word for it. Check the U.S. Secretary of Education list of nationally recognized accreditation agencies: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ .

Find out what tests you will need to take to be able to apply. Most schools will require an SAT for undergraduates and other professional aptitude tests for graduate work.

Send in your application with transcript, recommendation letters and any other required documentation. If an essay is part of the application, be sure and double-check grammar and spelling. If you are applying for any type of financial aid, complete your application process as soon as possible so that you will know exactly how much you will have to pay.

Find out about the class schedule. Some online programs allow you to study, take tests, etc. completely on your own schedule. Other programs require you to be online at certain times for instruction from the professor, forums and other classroom participation.

Get organized. When pursuing an online degree, you must be self-motivated, and you must be organized. Get an assignment book complete with calendar and note test dates, forums, project deadlines, etc. Be sure and set aside time in your schedule for online work and studying.

Utilize resources offered by the school (i.e. tutoring, online libraries, one-on-one instruction). Ask for help when needed.

Expect to have the same load of work as an on site college program. Reputable online degree programs will take just as much work as their on site counterparts.

By following these tips, you will be well on your way to the successful pursuit of an online degree.

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