Online Colleges for Working Adults

Online Colleges for Working Adults

Find Schools that Cater to Nontraditional Students. While the majority of college students are 18 to 24, an increasing number of students aged 25 and older are attending college. Colleges and universities recognize this growing number of nontraditional students. To meet the nontraditional student's demand for more flexible education, many schools have started or expanded online college programs. Here's why these programs are ideal options for working adults.

Why Are Adult Students Different?

Adult students working differently from "traditional" students in some ways, although three characteristics stand out.

� They are usually older.

This means they have real-world experiences, especially experience from the workplace. Working adults bring a unique perspective to the college class and can help incorporate the theoretical learning that is often found on campus by sharing their real-world practices.

� They work in full-time careers.

Although students have been in college for decades, most of these jobs are part-time. Many adults stay full-time, demanding careers in class. Consequently, attending classes held on weekdays during normal business hours is usually not an issue.

� Adult educated students are more likely to have family responsibilities.

Family responsibilities for adult students can mean spouses, or children, or both. This means more time for college, given the more limited schedule. It is not easy to attend classes while children need to be picked up from kindergarten.

College Online Course for Adults Working

Online colleges offer to schedule flexibility that enables classroom attendance while also enabling students to work and care for their families. Each online program is different, with unique delivery methods and academic policies. However, most online courses are set up for busy adult students to take classes on their own schedule, after their family and professional obligations are maintained throughout the day. In addition, most online programs allow students to complete their work at an accelerated or slower pace - whatever is right for them.

What Should Adult Students Look For in an Online School?

Most schools with online programs share similarities about flexibility in the time and rate at which a program can be completed. However, there are various factors to consider when choosing the right online program for a nontraditional student.

1. Asynchronous Learning

This means that when the class is held it is different from when the students actually attend the class. For example, a professor can give his lecture at 9 am on Tuesday morning in Room 224 at Smith Hall. However, an online student will not listen or watch a lecture until 8:30 pm the next day, after the children are tucked into bed. For many online students, asynchronous learning is very important. A large number of online programs will offer this type of learning, but the nature of the class determines how feasible this is.

2. Class Delivery Method

Most online classes are asynchronous, but not all of them. There are many complete online programs that deliver most classroom information in an asynchronous and fully automated way but will have some ongoing class events. For students who cannot meet for a live class, although broadcast through video conferencing technology, they should avoid this class or make appropriate arrangements to meet their life needs.

3. Accelerated Course Loads

Most degrees can be completed on a traditional time schedule. Associate's degree takes two years, a bachelor's degree takes four years and a bachelor's degree can take anywhere from two to seven or more. Many adult learners have no luxury, whether in money or time, to take a typical time to earn a bachelor's degree. That's why many online programs offer an accelerated track that can shave six months to several years from the time it takes to get a degree. This acceleration can be done in various ways, such as taking more classes during the semester, year-round school or compressed course.

4. Accreditation

Accreditation is the process that certifies a particular school or program that meets basic quality standards. In the United States, most schools and programs are accredited by a regional or national accreditation institution recognized by the US Department of Education. In the early days of online learning, many schools and online programs were not accredited. This means it is impossible to know whether other academic degrees or academic credentials from non-accredited schools are anything, such as graduates with the required level of knowledge. Currently, most schools and online programs are accredited, so this is not a problem.

5. Prior Recognition or Transfer of Academic Credits

One way to reduce monetary costs and college time is to start classes with some recognized college credits. Students who have previous college courses, whether it be a degree or some isolated class, should look for an online program that will compliment this completed course. Alternatively, prospective students with work or military experience should look into programs that will provide college credit for the experience. It would not be unusual as transferring credits from other college institutions, but many schools (both online and campus) would recognize work or military experience and provide equivalent college credits, reducing the number of classes students had to take.

6. Academic Support

What happens if an online student has questions about the material? It's impossible to raise a hand and ask a question, meet a classmate in the library or stop by the professor's office for a moment. Therefore, online schools will have a system in place to meet this need. This could include e-mail, phone calls, video conferencing, message boards or instant messaging. This means students can ask questions from both the professors and their classmates. Almost all online programs will have a way for students to collaborate.

7. Career and Alumni Network Services

Whether that happens after a promotion or finding a new job, completing an online program may not be enough by itself. Students may need help from the career services office and the school alumni network. Students who do not have a job or guaranteed promotion after graduation should strongly consider the school's ability to help them establish relationships with others or find the contacts in the desired workplace.