Distance Learning is Perfect for Single Mothers

Years ago, I wanted to get a Master’s in Business Administration, but then I got pregnant and on-line distance education was not available back then. Knowing I would be somewhat incapacitated and housebound for a few months during the start of the first semester, I chose to delay my entrance. That delay for that university turned out to be permanent. Despite having taken the GREs and done all the work to get in to one of the best Master’s programs for business, I couldn’t go due to the travel and inflexibility of my own soon-to-be mother’s schedule. With the advent of distance learning these types of excuses for not furthering our education simply don’t exist anymore.

The things to look for in a distance learning program are:

1. Accreditation
2. Hardware Requirements
3. Time Requirements
4. Prerequisites
5. Cost

Accreditation


Many distance programs are not accredited. Those that are should proudly claim that accreditation and this makes a big difference in whether your degree is recognized as a course of study or just a piece of paper from a degree mill. If you are going to spend an enormous amount of money on your education, make sure it is from an accredited institution.

Hardware Requirements

One of the important factors in on-line education is how well your own home computer resources fit the standard necessary to take courses on-line. Universities usually have a web application that tests your system to see if it will work with their courses. However, don’t let that stop you from taking an on-line course.

Currently, my machine at home has no sound. This can be a problem when I am asked to open up videos with sound. I simply go to Kinko’s and listen to them there. I've also ordered an external sound card I hope will fix this issue. So, even though you may not have all the resources for hooking in completely, you can go to other places to download and view your course.


Time Requirements

Just because a course is online does not mean it is lax. Usually, the courses are much more intense, requiring a lot of reading and writing. Most on-line courses have tests that you can take at the end. These tend to be a bit harder than just multiple-choice and many teachers rely on essay and short answer to test a student’s knowledge. Office hours are usually chat sessions where a teacher is available to take questions on-line. Most on-line courses also seem to require one or two term papers.

On-line education also provides statistics for your on-line activities. You can usually tell average number of times you were on-line, how many posts you replied to, and whether you are missing assignments. If you take a quick pop quiz, often the system can automatically grade you and you can see if you’ve pass almost immediately. Also, some systems keep track of your number grade as you progress through the course so you know whether you are falling behind or not.

Prerequisites

Some counseling graduate degree programs require prerequisites to be accepted for entry. Know what they are and look for programs that may not have those requirements, if you feel that is too much time, money, or committment for you. However, usually, if one program needs those prerequisites, others do too. So, knowing what they are will help you to take ones that are acceptable at more than one university and thus allow you to apply to more distance learning programs and have a choice when it comes to actually entering a degree program.


Cost

Distance learning is expensive, but there are many financial aide packages available. Try to apply with the FAFSA at the beginning of the calendar year that you are thinking of entering a program. If you have your FAFSA score ready, the schools can offer you a financial aide package of loans or grants, depending on your income status. Single parents usually don't make much and if you are an ethnicity that has scholarships available, you may even benefit because of your race.


In Conclusion

People who do very well in on-line education are usually self-motivated. They can manage their time and resources without needing tremendous outside guidance. One should probably have a decent typing speed as all things are done via the computer keyboard. One of the drawbacks of an on-line education is that one can become even further isolated from one’s peers. Some universities address that issue by requiring some time in intensives or on-campus seminars to bring everyone together face-to-face.

One thing is for certain, if distance education was still not available, I would not be able to take a Master’s program. With the cost of gas, a teenage daughter, and being a divorced single mother, my time is still somewhat inflexible for traditional campus classes. Distance education has really come of age and everyone should find ways to take advantage of this invaluable and flexible resource.


One Distance Program to Look Up

Although Capella does not offer Transpersonal Psychology graduate programs, I did look into this university when I was trying to determine where to go. It is accredited and that also is an important requirement for distance programs. It does have a Psychology department, just not Transpersonal Psychology. It also offers graduate degrees in business, information technology, education, human services. It has undergraduate programs available using distance programs as well.