With millions of jobs lost this year alone, unemployment rates are at their highest in decades. The manufacturing and construction industries have been especially hard hit. Rather than stay in shrinking industries, however, many unemployed workers are turning to higher education to transition to industries with more plentiful career opportunities.

Sherry Fitzgerald of Detroit is a part of this transition. When she lost her job at a Detroit auto plant a year ago, she began investigating other careers. "I had always thought of becoming a nurse," Fitzgerald says. "I knew the pay and the job security were good."

The more Fitzgerald found out about the nursing field, the more she was convinced it was the right field for her. "After getting a bachelor's and 2 years on the job, I could easily be making as much as $80,000 with good benefits," Fitzgerald says. "I thought, what am I waiting for?"

A friend recommended she visit Classes and Careers.com, a free online education information resource. In a few minutes, users can fill out a form and be connected live with an education advisor. "Not long after," Fitzgerald says, "an advisor called me and helped me find a nice, flexible online program. I could do lectures and homework at night from my computer after the kids went to sleep. It was really easy to use."

Now more than halfway through her program, Fitzgerald has left the troubled American auto industry for a secure, lucrative career in health care, and she's not alone. Statistics show that enrollment at universities and colleges has jumped in the last 6 months, and most of those enrolling are victims of layoffs. "They realize they can't stay where they were," says university career advisor Robert Green. "They've got to adapt, and education is the best way to do it."

You don't have to settle for unemployment pay or job insecurity. Go back to school and earn a degree in a more secure, high-paying field by completing the helpful online form at ClassesandCareers.com. An education advisor will help you find the right degree program to set you on a new career path.

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.

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.

X-Streeam Marketing.

Free Web Templates, Professional Wordpress Themes, Free Joomla Templates and more.

web design | web page design – web design, web page design, flash templates, Affiliate program.

Web template, Flash templates, Links and Articles
Website templates are a good starting point in your Internet business. Webbozz offers a multiple variety of professional, exquisite and suitably designed website flash templates that can be used for any occasion or business need.

Search Engine Optimization for Small Business
The SEO Consultants provides search engine optimization services at prices small businesses can afford.

We get your site up quickly and economically using tools we developed over the last 10 years. Want your site to rank in searches? We are the best Search Engine Optimizers at affordable rates – Website Design SEO.

How do online classes compare to traditional classes? Hundreds of independent studies have examined this topic, and the consensus is that there is no significant difference between the two in terms of academic quality. In fact, many studies indicate that online courses actually surpass traditional courses in at least three respects, including the following:

1. Online classes are more flexible. One of the most obvious advantages that online education offers over traditional education is its flexibility. Students with family or work responsibilities are often unable to enroll in traditional courses because of prior obligations with respect to time or place. Furthermore, even if a traditional class does fit, limited enrollment or caps on class sizes may present problems. Online education, on the other hand, allows students to complete coursework when and where they choose, and because the class is conducted online, there are few — if any — restrictions on class size.

2. Online classes focus on students, not instructors. Whether through lectures, discussions, role playing, or small group activities, traditional classes tend to focus on the instructor. Online classes, by contrast, force the instructor to play a supporting role, which in turn empowers and encourages more student participation. With online classes, students have more opportunities to explain, share, comment, and critique in a manner not possible in the traditional classroom.

3. Online classes are writing (and computer) intensive. Two skills that are in constant and increasing demand across all industries are the ability to write and the ability to use technology effectively. Online education by its very nature requires that assignments, discussions, group projects, and tests all be conducted in a form that necessitates both writing and technology. As such, online courses tend to prepare students for the modern workplace better than traditional classes.

In conclusion, despite the prejudices in favor of traditional classes, the fact is that online classes offer the same material and the same academic rigor and even offer several additional advantages. Admittedly, online courses are not the best fit for all students or for all faculties. Then again, neither are traditional courses. What students should keep in mind is that both have the potential to offer a high-quality educational experience.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kari Whitaker is a technical as well as creative writer. In addition to articles on education and careers, she also enjoys writing short stories, essays, and poetry.