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Introduction

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the numbers of students taking distance or online education classes are continue growing at a phenomenal rate. And online courses have become an excellent way for busy professionals to gain advanced training and earning degrees for switching their career paths. However, not all can be succeed as a virtual student and complete their online degree program.

Success as a Virtual Student depends upon a few factors outlined in the process of becoming a successful virtual student below. These factors are importance to be considered for those who are considering an online degree program.

Is Distance Learning Right for You?

This is the first question to ask yourself in your decision to earn your degree online. Although anyone can be succeed as Virtual Student with hard work, determination and the ability to do the work. While successful & happy Virtual Students find earning a degree online is an enjoyable and rewarding experience, others find themselves regretting their decision and wishing they had enrolled at a traditional school instead.

In general, successful & happy virtual students have a few characteristics in common:

-Self-motivated & Independence * Virtual student able to motivate themselves and on-task with all assignments given to them and no need others to encourage them to proceed in other study and ability to set their own goal is the key of success.

-Good reading comprehension skills * In traditional class-based lecture session, student learn by listening to the lectures and taking notes. Instead, Virtual Students learning environment is slightly difference, the students are expected to master the learning materials through reading alone. Although, there are a few online courses offer online audio and video classes but comparatively the majority of learning materials are still in text reading based.

-Missing of socialization element of traditional school can be tolerated. The virtual students feel alright in missing of students activities conducted at colleges. They feel comfortable with the current social situation and treat the earning a degree is a process of learning and not an importance factor in their socialization lifestyle.

-Likes to stay online and search for information from internet. Most of online learning materials are delivered through electronic media such as internet & email. A success virtual student should feel comfortable with these types of digital media and able to accept these as the major learning channel.

Determine Your Purpose for Undertaking Online Education

Once you have made up your decision to proceed as Virtual Student (either your personality characteristics indicate you can be succeed as a Virtual Student or your just decide to proceed anyway!), the next step is to determine your purpose for undertaking the online education and decide the type of degree to earn for.

The common motivations among the Virtual Student are:

-Your Company pressuring you to get a degree so that you are eligible for promotion.

-You want to change your career.

-Earn the degree to fulfill your personal goals.

-Self improvement by adding new knowledge and skills.

No matter which group you occupy, spending some time to think about your purpose of enrolling an online degree program. Clearly understand your purpose will help to sustain you whenever you face any road blocks or difficult times during your online degree program.

Determine Your Status

Before your apply for admission to an online college or university, gathering the information from those universities or colleges on their admission requirement and whether any credits transfer can be made on your existing credits. Ask them to send you a transcript and your can use this handy document as your reference point from which to negotiate with your chosen school about the transfer hours.

Be aware that, your existing credits might not be able to be transferred due to completely different field of study or it may due to the school *Policy*. Some school may have awarded credits for work or life experience, check it out.

Takes A Rest!

This article is published in 3 parts. In this part, we talk about the common characteristics to become a success virtual student, decide your purpose of undertaking online education and check out your current credit transfer ability.

In the Part II & III of this article, we will talk about the "school selection", admission requirement until finishing your degree. See you soon.