I often think about my college degree and whether or not it’s helped me in my career.  I was working with UPS many years ago while going to college.  I would get up every morning and load trucks before going to school.  As I approached my December graduation date, I was up for a Lead position, and my supervisors were asking me questions.  Not about the kind of degree I was getting but about my ability to type, and when I would finish my Bachelors.

That let me in on a little secret.  It doesn’t matter what you get your Bachelor’s degree in, so long as you have one.  Unless it’s a highly specialized field, like engineering or medicine, a simple Bachelor’s degree in something you enjoy will do.

I went to work on Friday December 15 getting paid $9.63 per hour for part time work loading UPS trucks.  I graduated that night, and when I went into work on Monday, I had a pay raise to $13.64 and an offer to go work as an Assistant Account Executive full time.  Sure, I’d have to wear a tie, but my Bachelor’s degree gave me $160 more per week instantly.  What happened?  I was the same hard working person?  Why was that piece of paper worth so much more?

Turns out, a Bachelor’s degree is worth around $20,000 - $30,000 a year more than someone without one.  That’s a pretty good investment for a piece of paper.

So why online now?  I went to a brick and mortar school with cheap tuition, but hated it. I drove thirty minutes through traffic each day, drove around for a parking spot, walked across campus and sat in boring classes with professors who really didn’t care.  And for this pleasure, I paid a parking fee, a library fee, a sports fee, an athletic fee, a fee fee, you name it, I was paying extra for it.  I won’t tell you how many years ago I went to school, but in today’s dollars, I was paying around $300 bucks per credit hour for a public school! But it was all in fees and most of it was for stuff I didn’t use.

If I had the option, I would have gone online at a schedule designed for my convenience.  There are schools now where you can log in for a one hour class once a week and do the rest of the work on your own time.  I could have had two part time jobs, one loading trucks and tending bar for fun and partying AND STILL got my degree finished.

I used student loans to go to school.  The fiscal year starts in July, so that means right now, grant money is available and if you made too much money last year for grants, then subsidized loans are there. Obama ordered a lot of money for people to get educated and only an idiot wouldn’t take advantage of it.  Loans are great for two reasons.  First, you don’t have to pay them while you’re in school, just six months after you graduate you’ll start getting billed.  Second, it’s a great way to build credit to buy houses, cars, and get credit cards.  A lot of people are crying about tight credit right now.  Boo hoo.  The only credit I had to my name when I graduated was student loans, which I started paying six months after I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree.  The payments were small, and after three months I started buying houses.  My credit was good showing I was managing my debt.  That’s how you can use student loans to get your education AND establish (or even re-establish) your credit.

My degree came from a public state university, but a lot of online schools are private schools.  Everyone recognized my degree, but not all schools online are painted equally.  You want a regionally accredited school, not national, and you want a school with access to regular officials.  At some online schools, you’re kind of turned loose to figure it out on your own. But there are other schools where you get one person as your contact throughout your entire career at the school. 

All right, so why is online school important to you:

You have a busy schedule, but you need a Bachelor’s degree for a better career.

You want convenient classes from an accredited institution.

You want financial aid to help pay for it.

All right, so I have a solution for you.  Send me an e-mail with your questions, and I’ll answer it.

But DON’T go fill out any forms about school or free money online.  Those companies sell all of your information to a bunch of schools and your phone will blow up with obnoxious salesmen trying to sell you on a school. Don’t do that.

I will never call you, unless you decide to go to college, and even then, I’ll be the only one who calls you.  I will never share your e-mail address.  What I will do is answer your questions, point you in the right direction for a school that can help you find the career you want, and then send you some articles or stuff I find online about your career to help you make more money or find a better job.  I won’t give you a ton of stuff, just enough info to help out.

BTW, I got my degree in English with plans to go to law school.  I ended up working as a small business owner with a gym, a driving range, and small production company.  So again, it just proves it doesn’t matter what you get your degree in- just what you study.  I wish I would have done a Bachelor’s in business with an emphasis on marketing. I think no matter what career you choose, marketing yourself and your company is the most important thing you can study.  So if you want to be a marine biologist, learn how to market your scuba diving skills.  Oh yeah, I’ve got a ton of more tips about any job you want.  Just shoot me a quick e-mail with your question about your job.