Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D. is a college administrator with over a decade of experience in higher education. As a graduate student, she was able to pay for her education and explore her options in education by working as a financial aid advisor to fellow students. Through this experience, she learned many of the challenges and opportunities associated with financial aid. This was also where she came to understand the basic information that students need to know to successfully navigate through the student loan process.

Her higher education experiences were further expanded when Jennifer accepted her first position as a college instructor. While she started teaching part-time, she was quickly offered a full-time teaching position. In 1997, she became one of a new breed of instructors when she took advantage of technological advances to begin offering classes online. Since moving into a college supervisory role she has had the opportunity to develop online curriculum plans as well as create policies to maintain quality in online learning.

As a college administrator, the breadth of her experience has included developing an Emergency Management Plan; supervising faculty and staff; developing and maintaining the instructional budget for an institution; and, writing accreditation reports.

In 2003, Jennifer earned her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign after successfully defending her dissertation “Predictors for Student Success in Online Education.” She also has a master’s degree in business education and a bachelor’s degree in mass communications.

Tip: Online Learning: Asynchronous vs. Synchronous

When an online course is taught asynchronously, it means that there is no simultaneous communication between class participants or the instructor. If an online course is taught synchronously or includes synchronous components, it means that students are required to participate in real-time sessions at a given time and date. Typically, a synchronous online class component might involve a chat session.

Tip: Start Your Education At A Community College And Save Money

Save money on your college education by completing your lower-level courses at a community college. The quality of the educational experience is the same as a four-year university, but taking courses at your local community college first may save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in tuition and fees. On top of all that, community colleges often offer more online courses and programs.

In addition, most community colleges have agreements with many universities regarding transferability of courses or programs of study. Ideally, you need to know where you are planning to transfer to early in the process to make sure the university you plan to attend will accept all of your courses for transfer. Your best bet is to check with a counselor at both the community college and university to make sure that your coursework will count towards bachelor degree.

Tip: Complete Your Homework At 3 a.m. And Still Earn A Degree

There are many reasons to learn online with one of the biggest being the flexibility that it provides to students. A student who can not commit to attending class at a certain time or location each week can enroll in an online course to complete the required coursework at their convenience (even if that means 3 a.m.).

Tip: Teachers Are In High Demand So Earn Your Degree In Education Online

Currently, elementary and secondary education is a high demand field. More specifically, there is a shortage of educators qualified to teach math, science and special education in many areas through the United States. To help support this demand, many colleges and universities are moving coursework for these degrees online.

In fact, there are programs that offer quite of bit of the degree online except for observations and clinicals. These are experiences that must be supervised and completed at an educational facility. While online education degrees provide greater access and flexibility for students, always make sure first that the program you are interested in pursuing will meet the teaching qualifications of your state.

Tip: Independent Learners Do Best In An Online Course

If you are an independent learner or someone who prefers a more visual learning experience, then online learning may be for you. This is ideally a way to deliver theory-based courses. Very rarely can you find a hands-on course or one that requires a lab component (like chemistry) offered fully online. If you learn best by working directly with a teacher or practicing the concepts, then you may not be successful in an online class.

Tip: All Students Are Heard In An Online Course

When taking an online course, students enjoy many benefits. One thing a student may not realize is that they also have an opportunity to be a more active participant in learning and can be more vocal. In an online course, students who normally do not talk, participate or ask questions often find that it is easier to communicate in this virtual format. One reason for this is a student can be more confident that their comments are in important. They also do not need to wait for an opening in the conversation to be heard. Everyone has a voice in the online environment.

Tip: Not All MBA Schools Are The Same

While many students are happy just to get a bachelor degree, you can boost your career and lifetime earning potential with an MBA. There are a number of online MBA programs that can be found online. When looking into which program will work best for you, first make sure that the institution is accredited. This means that the university is accredited by an agency approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Without that accreditation, the degree you earn may be worthless. CHEA puts out information on diploma mills (unaccredited institutions) and lists all schools that have been accredited. If you are unsure about the school you are looking at, check CHEA's website.

Tip: Homeland Security As An Online Degree

In recent years, Homeland Security programs have started springing up nationwide on college and university campuses. Many, like the American Military University, have gone so far as to offer both a masters and bachelor degree program online. An advantage to earning an online degree in Homeland Security is the opportunity to learn from national experts in the field at a nationally or regionally accredited university.

Tip: Earning Accreditation Is Not Easy

When national and regional accrediting agencies consider whether a college or university should receive accreditation, it is a thorough and accurate process. These agencies look through college records to ensure that state and federal laws are being followed as well as to confirm that the institution implements its own policies accurately and consistently.

In addition, most accrediting agencies review how colleges and universities are assessing student learning. Each institution must have a plan for assessment in place that validates the quality of the education experience for their students.

Online programs have been under intense scrutiny from the public. For them, this accreditation process is especially important to confirm that an online degree is equivalent to one earned on a campus.

Tip: Protect Your Workplace: Earn A Degree In Environmental Heatlh And Safety

A field that is growing in popularity once again is Environmental Health and Safety. While there are a limited number of colleges and universities nationally that offer these programs, labor statistics research continues to show that in many areas of the country there is still a demand for program graduates.

To meet that demand, schools like the Eastern Iowa Community College district offer an online degree in Health, Safety and Environmental Technology. This program prepares a student to work in industry to monitor worker and workplace safety.

Students interested in job entry in this field need proper training in order to accurately comply with state and national regulations from government agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.