Let's Make History Happen

I've noticed lately that my options have opened up tremendously on this journey I call "completing my Bachelor's degree". Whenever that will happen. After much thought, I have chosen to complete the last half of my studies through distance learning. It was a difficult decision to make. I enjoy going to school. But the physicality of attending grew harder and time constraints have become tighter. I simply had to find another way to make this successful.

What has worked in my academic favor is that many schools, especially highly respectable brick and mortar establishments, are offering more degrees through distance learning. In the past, it seemed all you could major in online was Business Administration, Criminal Justice, and Psychology. Now, the possibilities and choice of majors are becoming endless. Also, the world of scholarship and grant opportunities has widened compared to just a few years ago when us non-traditional students didn't really have many avenues out there for financial support. All in all, a good thing.

So, after looking into six colleges that either offered my degree, or something similar, I chipped away and narrowed them down to three.

The number one choice has firmly become my dream school. To my surprise, I just only recently, accidentally, discovered the existence of their online program. A top 100 university, solid New England institution, with some serious name recognition. More importantly, an excellent choice of courses. It has everything going for it. What's the catch? The price tag (ouch!). But I have a feeling that this is the "one". Another positive thing to consider is this school has a lot of its own scholarship and grant opportunities available to returning students.

The number two choice is the first (I think) serious brick and mortar university to offer my major online. For this reason alone, there will always be a place in my heart for the school. That it had an excellent selection of courses to choose from also made it appealing. The only problem is the rigorous acceptance policy and that they allow only a few students into the program each year. A little too confidence crushing for me. Plus, the deadline to apply now is tight. Another thing that worries me is the semester structure. The winter and summer sessions are seriously lacking and not conducive to finishing my degree quicker. That alone is a very important thing to consider.

The number three choice is a really great Midwestern school. The college offers an excellent choice of courses and a nice semester structure. It also has an easy acceptance policy. Sort of a safety school.

I seriously hope I can concentrate, ask a lot of pertinent questions, and get all the information needed without resorting to rash and impulsive decisions; of which I am well known for. There are a handful of schools to choose from, but I know that the final say will happen during the admissions process, when for once, in my academic journey, someone else will have the final say.

I realize I'm up against some challenges here completing the last half of my degree online. The school's appellation is going to have to work extra hard because of this. The name of a school can sometimes raise eyebrows, which is one of the reasons I chose to avoid the "big three" that are heavily advertised. In my experience, I've been cognisant of people's views of online education, so my choices are based on a set criteria, which contributed to the difficultly of making it to this point. First, I refused to bend and insisted on a certain major, and never budged. It was never an option to settle on the limited majors that until recently, most online school programs offered. Last, an important factor was to have the degree attached to an esteemed brick & mortar institution (which all three of my choices are). This proved to be a difficult task in the beginning, but things are now definitely shaping up in both these departments.

Good things happen to those who wait, right? We'll see.