In today's society the only way, which you are going to succeed in making a decent living is to have a college degree, the higher your degree the further you can go in your chosen career. One of the biggest problems to getting your college degree is figuring out where to go and get it. If you are currently working full time because you have a family at home or even if you are a stay at home parent with small children going to a traditional college is not always an option. Trying to rearrange your schedule to fit around your college schedule can be difficult at times; luckily, there is a new solution to getting your college degree: online college degrees.

Here is a look at the pros of online college degrees.

Number one: Staying home
The biggest selling point for attending an online university is that students get to stay home. What this means for thousands of students is no more having to drive to campus only to have to fight to find a parking spot. You also no longer have to wade through thousands of students trying to get to your classes on time. Alternatively, if your professor decides to cancel class at the last minute you no longer have to worry about finding something to do until your next class. If you are a parent trying to attend classes this means you will no longer have to find a sitter or have to pay for daycare costs while you are attending school. Most importantly, you get to sit in the comfort of your own home while attending classes, which can make things easier overall.

Number two: Learn at your own pace
Traditional classes are usually stricter when it comes to turning assignments in one time. With online classes, you are also going to need to turn your assignments in, but usually your instructors will give you extra time if you need it. The reason for this is that most instructors realize and understand that online students need more flexibility; otherwise, they would not be attending online college. Another way to learn at your own pace is that you can ask all of the questions you want, no more having to ask the same question over again in front of students who seem to know everything. Moreover, since there is no set class times so you do not have to worry about being late to class and missing important lectures, you can access the class activities when it is convenient for you. This allows you to focus solely on the tasks, which aids in the learning process.

Number three: Attending class
You can attend class from anywhere, especially if you have a laptop. All that you need to attend class is internet access so as long as you can connect you can attend class. Having this type of freedom allows you to do class work whenever you get a spare moment, which can also help you in keeping up with your assignments. Some employers might even allow you to connect to your classroom while at work during lunch and breaks if you take the time to explain to them what you are doing.

Number four: Fits busy lifestyles
The biggest excuse that people come up with to not get their college degree is that they do not have enough time or their schedules are too busy. By attending college online, that excuse is no longer valid because online colleges give you the freedom to attend class when and where it is convenient for you. With online colleges, you can carry a part-time load, which means you only have to devote about an hour to studying and class work each night. Some online colleges also offer accelerated classes, which means you get the work done in half the time as a traditional class.

Number five: Tuition assistance
Not everybody can afford to pay for college classes out of pocket, whether they are talking them online or at a traditional college. With how new online colleges are people are concerned that there is not going to be any type of assistance when it comes to paying for your classes. However, federal, state, and private programs are available to help you pay for your classes; the same ones that are available to students attending traditional colleges. Therefore, if you qualify for tuition assistance at a regular college, you will also qualify for it at an online college.

Here is a look at the cons of attending an online college degree program.

Number one: Scams
No matter how wonderful the internet is there are always going to be people out there who are looking to take advantage of people. Therefore, before you decide on a specific online college you are going to want to investigate the school, especially before you send them any money. One of the biggest frauds out there is where you send a school your money and they print you out a degree without you having to do a single thing. While this sounds good, it is a waste of money because it is illegal and employers are catching onto it. Therefore, it will not land you that promotion, but it will land you in trouble. When looking at online schools you want to look to see if they have course outlines, degree program descriptions, or a faculty list posted on their website.

Number two: Limited subjects
You can only find online college degrees in a limited matter of subjects because of the need for hands on experience. Most careers that require hands on experience are not going to offer online college degrees; if they do, it will be a mixed program. This will require you to attend school on campus classes, for specific subjects. However, the list of online college degrees is extensive and it is still growing. You can get an AA, AS, BA, BS, Masters, or even your Doctoral in a variety of subjects including business and education.

Number four: Self-discipline
In order to be successful online you need to have self-discipline. It is very easy to log on, see your assignments, and say to yourself that you will do them tomorrow. In fact, this is easy to tell yourself everyday until you find yourself at the end of the class with all of your assignments due in less than a day. You need to make your school work a priority so that you can get everything done in a timely manner, despite the fact that you are not going anywhere to receive your education.

Number five: No immediate feedback
In a traditional classroom, all you have to do is raise your hand and ask a question and you will get an immediate answer. In a virtual classroom, this is not possible. The only way to get your questions answered is to send your instructor an email and wait until your instructor has time to answer. Most of the times you will get an answer back within a day, sometimes even less. However, you will not get an answer to something as soon as you ask it, which makes procrastinating even more dangerous because you never know how long it will take to get something straightened out.

Number six: Dropout rate
The dropout rate for an online degree is higher than traditional college degrees. If you have gotten funding through the government you are still required to pay the money back whether you have graduated or not. The reason that the dropout rate is so high is because people do not have the self-discipline needed to get things done online. They also do not understand time management to help ensure there success online.

Despite the numerous drawbacks to getting an online college degree, you should not let those stop you from pursuing your degree. What you need to do is look at the drawbacks to getting an online degree and work towards making it work for you. Simply teach yourself time management skills so that you can get yourself motivated enough to graduate online. For some people it is a matter of getting your college degree online or not getting your degree at all, so you should not let the little things set you back.