ONLINE EDUCATION | EDUCATION | CAREER ADVICE

As the nation’s attention is focused on the action of the presidential primaries, we intensely scrutinize each candidate and their fit for the presidency. Amidst the flurry of lofty promises, swelling words, handshakes, debates, and veiled attacks, we try to get a handle on who these people are. Where did they come from? Are they really all they claim to be? Are they fit to preside over the most powerful country on earth with all its problems and promise?

Of course, the answer to these questions largely depends on your beliefs and perspective, your idea of what a president should be. While education is not the sum of a person, we offer the following glimpses into the educational accomplishments of the 2008 presidential candidates:

Mitt Romney - Best known for saving the Salt Lake Winter Olympics and driving progress as the governor of Massachusetts, Romney attended Stanford University for two quarters and finished his degree at Brigham Young University, where he graduated as valedictorian, summa cum laude. Four years later, he earned a joint JD/MBA degree from Harvard, graduating cum laude and being named a Baker Scholar for finishing in the top five percent of his business school class. One word is repeated in the media again and again about Romney, and it is no less true about his educational performance: "impressive."

Hillary Clinton - Equally impressive is the education of this former First Lady. She attended Wellesley College, majored in political science, and actually served as the president of the university’s Young Republicans organization. Events during her undergrad education changed her views, and she soon left the Republicans for the Democrats, never to return. She was so active and successful in political and social activism during her college years that she became the first student at Wellesley to ever deliver the commencement address and received a seven-minute standing ovation. She went on to law school at Yale, where she continued her strong interest in social issues. Clinton is no doubt a strong competitor and apt student. If she was elected, we could expect a strong emphasis on social improvement from the White House.

John McCain - Like his father and grandfather before him, McCain attended the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. Exhibiting his now-familiar "maverick" personality, McCain did not fit into the command-and-control culture of the academy. He enjoyed English literature, history, and government and participated in lightweight boxing. Relegated to low standing, he still wielded an unusual amount of influence over his fellow midshipmen.

He graduated from Annapolis fifth from the bottom of his class before serving as a naval pilot. He would eventually fly in the Vietnam War, escape a number of near-fatal incidents, get shot down and taken prisoner by the brutal Viet Cong, and held by them for five and a half years. During this time, he was refused medical treatment, beaten, kept in solitary confinement for two years, and interrogated. Through it all, McCain refused to give away any information to his captors. Performance in the classroom can be noteworthy. Performance in such brutal, merciless conditions as these earns a whole different level of respect and credibility.

Barak Obama - This junior senator studied at Occidental College in Los Angeles for two years before finishing his BA in political science with a specialization in international relations at Columbia University in New York. He then worked for various community organizing groups. In 1988, he entered Harvard Law School and earned his JD degree magna cum laude. He served as an associate attorney with Miner, Barnhill & Galland from 1993 to 1996, representing community organizers, discrimination claims, and voting rights cases. Following, he lectured at the prestigious University of Chicago Law School in Constitutional Law. Charges of lack of experience or expertise in Washington or international affairs have haunted Obama throughout his campaign. Obviously, these claims may not be true.

Mike Huckabee - This candidate is self-described Southern boy, unpretentious and uncomplicated. His educational record reflects this. He graduated magna cum laude from Ouachita Baptist University, completing his bachelors degree in Religion in 2 and a half years. He then attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary but dropped out after one year. For what it’s worth, Huckabee has been awarded two honorary doctoral degrees: a Doctor of Humane Letters, received from John Brown University in 1991, and a Doctor of Laws from Ouachita Baptist University in 1992. Huckabee may be impressive on many fronts; education apparently is not one of those fronts.

Most of us are pretty busy. We usually have work, household stuff, socializing, family responsibilities, and a host of other possible chores and errands. So, when we want to improve our education or skill set, online education automatically pops up as a viable option.

Online education is convenient, allowing us to learn at our own speed and around our tight schedules. Also, a wide array of online universities are now considered to be as high quality as their brick-and-mortar counterparts. They now feature instructors who are just as credible and skilled as the professors that students encounter at top tier universities. However, the flexibility and convenience of online education can be a double-edged sword.

To a certain degree, online education is a solitary learning experience which requires discipline and self-motivation. The student can’t rely too heavily on socialization with a professor or other students as these aspects are very limited in online courses. Also, instead of receiving a list of dates by which assignments will be due, most online courses give you a lot of flexibility in handing in your assignments. This makes it easy to procrastinate and eventually forget about assignments, quizzes, and things learned. Without a class to be at, an attendance roll to check off, or group members depending on you, it can be too easy to slack off and eventually just waste the course altogether.

So, be honest with yourself. Can you realistically handle this online education thing or not? To help you decide, check out the list below of attributes of successful online students:

1. Strong time manager

Given your busy schedule, try to imagine where you will fit in several hours of study time per week. No professor will be there to scold you and kick you in the rear. No other students will invite you to have a study group with them. The whole cute-girl-in-your-class incentive is removed since you can’t really interact with, much less see, the other people in your class. Debbie36 may write pretty, but she could also be a fifty-year old chain smoker who cage wrestles on the weekends. Given the lack of the usual motivators, it is imperative that you know how to manage your time. You must be organized enough to sit down every week and plan out when you will study, when you will take tests, submit assignments, and so on. This won’t happen without some concerted planning and effort. If you can’t plan to save your life, online education might be risky for you.

	Top Online Schools
	Kaplan University University of Pheonix Penn Foster Career School Ashworth University AIU University Ellis College

2. Internally motivated

You would be surprised how much of a barrier that computer screen puts between you and the instructor. There is no having a warm chat with them after class. There’s no more joking with them. Worst of all, you can turn them off, put them in a corner, and forget about them. Unless you log in, no voice will call to you from the computer and ask you why you’ve stopped. You must be able to drive yourself without having those physical reminders that usually accompany a college education. You will need to stick to your commitment to finish that class even though it’s so easy to turn it off. Of course, it helps to have a grander purpose in mind than just adding a new degree to your resume. Perhaps, this class will allow you to be promoted to a managerial position. Maybe that certification will allow you to make the career change you’ve been planning on. These are great incentives to get the class done right and on time. If you don’t have these kinds of incentives available, consider creating one. Online education is not really a fun luxury activity. You don’t do it just for the heck of it. It’s costly, challenging, and time-consuming. Make sure if you’re going to do it, you have a good reason to keep you motivated.

3. Interested in the topic

One thing that might help you stay focused is if the topic is something you are actually interested in. Sitting in front of a computer screen and watching a little man babble about microeconomics is pretty difficult when the stuff puts you into a comatose state. It’s even worse if the lectures are just texts that you read. The only way to get through online courses is to have a decent level of interest in the subject. You don’t have to be in love with it, but you do need to be interested enough to sit through hours of it in the sleep-inducing quiet of your home. This is especially true if you will be studying at night after a hard days work. Be realistic with yourself. Decide what you can and cannot put up with. Don’t waste your money on courses that you will sleep through and learn nothing from.

4. Disciplined

Finally, getting through online courses takes discipline. Other more exciting things will arise. Your spouse will suggest that you go catch a movie. Your friends will try to persuade you to attend their weekly Desperate Housewives-watching party. Your brother is calling you to watch paint dry. Almost anything is more exciting than sitting down to study federal accounting history. Only discipline and self-control will allow you to say no and sit in front of that computer screen when everyone else is partying. Now, most people like to think of themselves as disciplined. They can say no to that third plate of fried chicken or limit themselves to only five hours of Halo 3 instead of the usual seven. Given the large investment involved in online education, I strongly recommend that you seriously evaluate your ability to stick with this commitment.

Can you sit down regularly in front of a computer screen all by yourself for hours each week? Can you say no when other more flashy options come along? If your answer is yes, online education may be for you.

You’ve probably heard grumblings through the media of a possible recession looming on the horizon. That’s right, the r-word has surfaced once again. Mix high oil prices with the sub-prime mortgage debacle and BOOM! Job growth ceases, downsizing occurs, jobs get harder to find, things get more expensive, and people get irate. Some people will keep their jobs. Some will have to downgrade their jobs. Some will find themselves in the unemployment line. Sounds pretty scary, doesn’t it? Of course, it’s all just predictions right now, but it definitely has everyone thinking: "Am I ready?" How can you safeguard yourself from the sweeping hand of recession?

On top of putting some money away for a rainy day, you should improve your value and marketability as an employee and as a job-seeker. A great way to do this is, of course, education. What is the difference between those who get laid off and those who don’t? One is vital to the running of the business and one isn’t; one adds significant value to the company and one is expendable. What is the difference between the people who are able to secure gainful employment during a recession and those who can’t? One has the attributes and skills attractive to employers above and beyond those of other job-seekers and the others don’t. Survival of the fittest goes to work during a recession. Those who can promise and produce value for their employers will stay afloat; those with inferior qualifications or performance will sink.

	Popular Degrees
	Business Degrees Criminal Justice Degrees Computer Degrees Technology Degrees Health Care Degrees Nursing Degrees

Therefore, the secret to employment survival during a recession is qualification enhancement or, simply put, education. You want to make yourself as marketable and indispensable as possible. You can do this by learning new skills, obtaining new degrees, certificates, or licenses, and then making a difference in your workplace.

Education is great insurance and it’s not as hard to get as it looks. Most universities and community colleges offer night classes and certificate programs for busy full-time professionals. A plethora of online schools are available 24/7 and can be planned around your schedule. Even better, many employers offer tuition assistance as long as the education is applicable to their industry (caveat: basketweaving will probably not be covered).

Now is the time to get ready for recession, not while you are standing in line at the unemployment office debating whether you want to clean toilets or flip burgers. Improve your skills and qualifications today, and you will be glad you did tomorrow.