A key to reaching higher level in your career, is acquiring the education employers want of employees - whether an IT professional or a knowledge worker seeking to advance.
One thing is true, however: The nature of the higher ed learner is changing. According to one study, fully 75% of students in higher ed are adults with job, families and careers. Many people are discovering that the road to advancement is paved with education, and they are returning to community colleges and 4-year institutions to get it.
Now more than ever, issues of time management, access to financial resources, ability to transfer earned college credits into new schools and programs - are important to the learner's success in the educational environment.
If you have questions about your status, the Ohio Learning Network and other education agencies around the state, have prepared these tools - to enable you to begin the process of starting - or re-starting - your education.
Take the first steps - find out more about all your options!
Assess your time
Demands on personal time only get greater as we move through life, but sometimes a third party can help you see where time might be gained by changing habits or priorities. This tool help you see clearly how your time is spent, and where you can find the time to extend your education.
Investigate financial aid options
Demands on budgets are certainly not less than time demands. Extending one's education is going to cost money. But there are options and opportunities that apply to almost everyone, depending on your personal situation. These tools and resources help you measure your financial options for extending your education.
Transfer earned college credits to new schools or programs
Many young people begin a course of higher education right after high school, but for various reasons do not complete a degree. Chances are, if this is your situation, the credits you earned can be transferred to a new institution or program, enabling you to keep credit toward your new goals for extending your education. CAS is the state-wide agency that coordinates these transfers - final decisions rest with the specific school with whom you choose to work.
Investigate distance learning as an option
"Distance learning" - generally referring to courses taken by computer over the Internet - can be a very effective option for today's time-crunched adult, seeking to extend his or her education. If you have access to a computer, you could be eligible to take advantage of DL. And once you have investigated, you will find thousands of courses in all fields - hundreds in IT-related fields - available to you.
Test drive a "distance" course, with E4ME
If you have never taken a for-credit course online, you may be interested in checking out the methods and the tools used to do this. E4ME is a unique, new program that offers up a wide variety of valuable information for the prospective learner, while also demonstrating the way college courses are presented and conducted online. E4ME uses a live course management system - the same system used in about half Ohio's DL programs, and similar to the program used by the other half - and enables you to sample the environment and the process personally and in real-time.
|
