If you have been procrastinating over the years and have yet to earn your college degree, you may want to consider taking the plunge in 2009.  Here are five good reasons that may get you thinking…..

1. Get a Job:  In a bad economy the job market is tighter.  Those individuals with the best credentials will generally be the ones who land the jobs, or keep their jobs while others are laid off.  Credentials include a college degree, or higher degree such as an MBA degree or Master’s degree, certificate programs and other on-going training to keep up with industry advances and improve your skills.  All of these may be earned through distance learning online programs.
2. Earn More:  With a degree in hand, you will have many more career opportunities leading to increased income.  Many research studies have proven that college degree holders earn more on average than those who do not possess a degree.  In addition, those with advanced degrees such as a Master’s or Ph.d. earn more than those with a Bachelor degree. 
3. Accomplish:  You are not getting any younger.  Don’t think that it is too late for you to earn a degree.  You don’t have to travel to a campus location and sit through classes with youngsters.   Anyone at any age can complete a degree without ever leaving home through an online degree program at top universities. 
4. Be a Role Model:  Do you have young children?  If so, you can be a great role model for them when you make the effort to earn your degree.  Recently I heard Micheal Phelps talk about what a great role model his mother was for him and his sisters, and how proud they were that she continued her education while they were young.  They realized that it was difficult for her to take night classes, butt she did it and she finished.  These days with online learning it is not so difficult as it was for Deborah Phelps.
5. Invest in Your Future:  Furthering your education is the best investment you will ever make.  Education and knowledge is something that no one can take away from you, and will always help you in some way.  While many of us don’t give a second thought to investing in a new car, or other material items, we shy away from doing the one thing that can help us the most – educational credentials.

Make 2009 the year you start earning your degree and take charge of your future!

According to the US Department of Labor’s 2008-2009 Occupational Handbook, the outlook for paralegal and legal assistant jobs is bright.  With the growth in the legal industry expected to expand over the next 10 years, and the need for paralegals will grow as well.  Good training will be necessary to get the best jobs, though.

According to the Occupational Handbook, "In addition to new jobs created by employment growth, more job openings will arise as people leave the occupation. There will be demand for paralegals who specialize in areas such as real estate, bankruptcy, medical malpractice, and product liability. Community legal service programs, which provide assistance to the poor, elderly, minorities, and middle-income families, will employ additional paralegals to minimize expenses and serve the most people. Job opportunities also are expected in Federal, State, and local government agencies, consumer organizations, and the courts. However, this occupation attracts many applicants, creating competition for jobs. Experienced, formally trained paralegals should have the best job prospects. Read this article »

Getting an online degree in hospitality management can be a very big advantage on your part. It can bring you places, literally and symbolically. Having this kind of training or online degree can heighten the probability for you to secure a high pedestal job that can give you a pretty big salary too.

Since more students and professionals alike are yearning for this kind of training, a lot of schools have popped up from nowhere and are now offering such kind of training. Although it can be tempting to just enroll in the first school you see offering this kind of program, a bit of research is advised.

Just like when picking a school when you’ll be enrolling for any other college online degree, choosing among the many hospitality management schools is also an important decision that you should not take for granted. There are a lot of so-called schools nowadays that provide fast programs for this kind of training. However, such kind of schools are not to be trusted, especially if the quality of learning and teaching is a pretty important factor for you.

As a guide, here are some of the criteria that you should consider while on the process of picking out a school that you are going to train in. Read this article »

Online MBA Survey by GetEducated.com Reveals Most Distance MBAs Require No GMAT or GRE

Considering an Online MBA (Masters of Business Administration) but don’t want to take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Exam (GRE)? GetEducated.com’s National Survey of Online MBAs has revealed that the majority of Regionally Accredited Online Business Schools – more than 70% – have abolished the GRE or GMAT for MBA admission

 Even more surprising, 10 out of 50, or 20% of AACSB-accredited Online MBAs do not require the GRE or GMAT for admission.

 "The no GMAT or GRE MBA admission trend in online education is not a sign of inferior quality," explains Vicky Phillips, GetEducated.com’s chief online education analyst. "It’s a sign of changing student demographics. Because online MBA degree programs cater to nontraditional, older adult students, many of them are abandoning old school tests – tests which were designed as measures of preparedness for students who had recently completed an undergraduate education. Instead, online MBA programs look for adult students who demonstrate real-life success in the world of work."

The National Survey of Online MBAs uncovered 89 accredited distance MBAs which do not require the GRE or GMAT.

The survey of Online MBAs findings are based on data from 168 graduate business schools offering 390 distance MBAs.

You can review online MBA school programs listed at Classes24Seven.com, a comprehensive directory of distance learning education.

We get a lot of questions from individuals who worry that an online college degree may not be as valuable as one earned through a traditional on-campus program.  The answer to this question is both yes and no. 

There are those people who are not willing to do the work that it takes to study and earn a degree in any type of program – online or on-campus.  Those individuals tend to seek out diploma mills from which they may buy a college diploma.  But we caution you if you are tempted to go this route – it is not a true degree and will only hurt you in the job market in the long run. 

If you are truly serious about earning your degree, an online program could be the most convenient and cost effective way to go. And if you choose the right program and the right university, you’ll find that employers do value those degrees.  Especially online degrees from accredited top tier schools.

You’ll find a directory of accredited online degree programs at Classes24Seven.com.  Take a look now.