Online Degrees 101: Just How Flexible Is an Online Program?

by Barbara Bellesi

The growing number of online degree programs offer many opportunities and choices for students. While the online programs vary greatly in curriculum and scope, there is one feature that all online programs share: flexibility. The very concept of not having to show up to a specific classroom at a specific time is what entices many a student to apply for and enroll in online degree programs.

The funny thing about flexibility, though, is that in order to enjoy it, sometimes you have to be, well, flexible. Just because you are bringing the classroom directly into your home doesn't mean that everything else in your schedule will fall magically into place. Nor does it mean that you have to be a time-management guru in order to be a successful online student.

More Academic Options
Catherine Patterson, a 25-year-old graduate student living in Chicago, embraced the idea of online learning when she was seeking a very specific study focus. Despite the fact that there are several world-class colleges and universities in Chicago, Patterson opted for an online master's degree program in Strategic Marketing at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She earned her B.A. in communication through a traditional, on-campus program at Michigan State University, and decided to wait a few years before pursuing graduate study. While Patterson admits that she applied to and was accepted by a traditional program right in her town, she was attracted to the political concentration that GW's program offered.

Before online degree programs existed, Patterson would have had two options: either pack up and move to D.C., or compromise her academic goals by enrolling in the program that was closer to home, but lacked the curriculum she wanted. But in the digital age, Patterson is able to log on with students all over the country to read and hear lectures taught by professors in a different time zone.

"I like the  flexibility," says Patterson, who also works full time as an account executive at a small public relations firm. "If I have a work event on a Thursday evening, it doesn't  mean I have to miss a Thursday lecture completely; it means I can  budget my time accordingly for the rest of the week."

Patterson has a good schedule. After a day of work, she comes home and puts in two or three hours of schoolwork. She reads the lecture, posts comments on the discussion board, and reads those posted by her classmates. Again, she is fairly regimented, but there are times when she says that it's hard to "turn off," although she does give herself Friday nights off. What used to be a simple task of sitting down to check her email before bed has evolved to include checking a news site, finding something applicable to her class, and posting the link on the discussion board. But you don't hear Patterson complaining.

"I devote a lot of time to my program, and that's because I can," she says, noting that she is single and has no children. But there are those in her online classes who do have family obligations, and still, they show up online at some point each week.

The flexibility of an online program lies in the fact that the professor will post lectures early in the week, along with assignments, and the students then have the remainder of the week to learn at their leisure. It works for Patterson, who says that she had already been in a comfortable routine of coming home from work and catching up on her reading of blogs and news sites as an extension of her job. Studying on her own for the GRE also got her in a good frame of mind for the work that was ahead.

Flexibility is great, but too much freedom can lead to problems for some students, who might gripe about the time of an on-campus class, but relish the fact that at least there is a definite beginning and end to a class. Are you one of those people? Don't rule out online degrees. Consider some of these tips when it comes to finding a balance between real life and the virtual classroom:

Put in some "face time" at your computer, just as you would show up at class. In a campus program, you would spend between three and four hours in the classroom each week, so find a way to spend between three and four hours working online.
Find what works for you. Whether you have a marathon session of study on a weekend or are able to split it up into small doses throughout the week, do what is right for you.
Learn the technology first. Blackboard and other applications used in online programs are easy to use, but you don't want to be learning how to use them during the first week of class. Students are usually admitted access to the online classroom before classes actually begin, so go in and become accustomed to the features. The same goes for if you've just bought a new computer-give it a test drive or two before you speed into schoolwork.
Give yourself time to adjust. You may have been out of school for a while, or you may be used to a classroom full of students. Either way, give yourself a grace period to get used to the online education universe.

Online education should be liberating, not frustrating. And once you get into a routine that allows for flexibility and productivity, you will realize that online study truly knows no limits.