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Accredited online degrees are similar to traditional university degrees in many ways: both come from accredited universities, hire certified, knowledgeable professors, offer many different degrees and assist students with financial aid. However, online schools, distance learning and online education are also very different from the traditional collegiate way of learning.

With online degree programs, you:

Determine when you have time to study

With an online education, you create your own classroom. You aren't buckled down to having to attend class at a specific time for a specific number of days per week. You don't have to worry about taking sick days and missing out on lectures, assignments or quizzes. Sometimes, when scheduling classes at traditional brick and mortar colleges, students run into major scheduling conflicts, and are unable to take one or two classes because it doesn't fit their schedule. This can make the students' graduation dates further and further away, and they end up going longer than they expected, thus spending money on another semester of tuition. Online schools offer courses online where you work at your own speed on your own time, with no scheduling conflicts, so you graduate when you expected.

Give yourself an edge when applying for jobs

Although online schools offer flexible scheduling, many of the degree programs are very rigorous. Because you work on your own time, you never have an instructor nagging you to complete your work. You need to be very disciplined and organized, and you have to work hard, as well. However, taking this responsibility adds more credentials you can put on your resume. You had to work hard, be organized and be disciplined while in pursuit of your online degree, and those qualities roll over to any career choice. Employers will appreciate that you are a disciplined, responsible worker and had to work independently, as employers are turning to independent work without much supervision.

Become more technologically advanced

Enrolling in an online school allows you to work with many different forms of technology. Of course, you do most of your work on a computer. You also use different programs on that computer that you might have to use in your career. Taking an online course gives you hands-on experience with those programs.

Learn about real world problems

When you enroll in an online degree program, much of the curriculum focus is on your major. There is no need for general education classes that you will not use in your line of work. If you want to earn your accounting degree, you will learn about the steps to calculate accrued interest for a loan or mortgage, because that is what you will be doing as an accountant.

Online degree programs are not for everyone; they are for the self starter that likes to take their own initiative to succeed. There are definite benefits to pursuing your degree online, but you do have to be disciplined and organized. However, with some hard work, you can earn your college degree and provide yourself with more career opportunities.