Not sure what to expect in an online degree? Don’t worry because you are not alone. In fact, a lot of people that start online degree programs have very little understanding of what they are getting into. Oftentimes they did not know what questions to ask, or maybe the admissions representative did not provide complete information. More often than not this is an honest mistake, or it may be the case that individuals entering their programs are so excited, they simply forget to ask. In either case, students often enter into their degree programs without proper expectations about what their program entails. This is a short guide of things to expect when you begin an online degree.

1. Pursuing your degree online is not the easy way out. If you believe, or have been told that you will only need to dedicate a few hours a week, your are in for a surprise. Online students should expect to dedicate 15 to 20 hours a week to their studies.

2. You can’t necessarily “study at your own pace”. Most online programs are broken into weekly “modules” or “objectives”. This means that the subject matter is divided into sections to be completed each week. You have the flexibility to complete the work at just about any time of day, and any day of the week (unless otherwise noted in a syllabus), but most weeks will have assignments that are due at the close of the week. In other words you can complete the assignments at your own pace during the week, but you can’t finish the entire course in one week or leave all of the work until the last minute or stretch the course over several months. Some programs do have a “study at your own pace” model, but these are far less common than programs broken into weekly objectives.

3. There are attendance requirements for online programs. Prior to enrolling you should ask your admissions counselor about attendance so that you are clear on how often you are expected to participate. Most programs require participation on a minimum of two days in a week to constitute attendance. Always ask about the expectations before you start class.

4. You may have some out of pocket expenses. Even if you are using financial aid to pay for your degree, you may have additional expenses that are not covered. Be sure to ask about all costs before you begin your degree. Some common expenses are, a tuition shortfall, books, technology fees and even equipment or software. It is important to ask what your financial responsibilities will be before you enroll. If you do have out of pocket expenses it is helpful to know in advance so that you can budget properly. It may also be a red flag if you are told by a school representative not to worry about costs. It is the institution’s responsibility to make sure that you are aware of the costs.

These are just a few of the things to be aware of prior to beginning an online degree. If you have further questions you can always contact us directly at learnmore@edudegreedirectory.com. You can also check out other entries in our FAQ section for answers to common questions about online colleges and degrees.

Contributed by Pete Morton