Many of us have been around the block once or twice. We struggled in our youth to learn skills, and used them to make money. The next thing you know, however, your boss may ask you a question and you won’t have the foggiest notion what he or she is talking about. We all know that these days, technology and information move at the speed of light. The computer you shelled out a thousand dollars for last week is now not even close to being the latest and greatest tool available. Those skills you learned in college or in the field also may no longer apply.
The fact is, the more modernized you are with today’s techniques and practices, the better the chance you can keep up in this fast paced world. Take for example, what I know the most about ... me.
During high school, I was in a vocational program for printing. I spent three years learning all I could about all the offset processes involved. Now you have to understand, that this was during the time that the dinosaurs ruled the earth; a time when no one owned a home computer and Photoshop was a place in your neighborhood that developed your Kodak's. After being out of the business for several years, I applied for a job with a local printer and realized that I had no idea how to work any of the equipment. I wanted to return to school, but a full-time job in another industry and the joys of motherhood left me with no time to attend. Later, I did return to school, despite the full-time job and daycare, only to discover the wonderful device called the Apple II, a word processor. I was over joked. I could write faster than I ever could by hand and with my elementary typing skills, there was even a key that would make my mistakes go away without the use of whiteout or retyping!
Luckily, my school offered a distance learning program which allowed me to do all the things that I did in life and still be able to hone my skills at a faster pace than if I had to attend a weekly class. I could just work on it when I had the time.
Distance learning is available through many community colleges and some 4-year universities as well. When seeking out a degree online, make sure that the college is accredited. If you suddenly find time to seek a college degree through a regular university program to obtain a master’s or higher degree, for the experience to be the most cost effective and beneficial through credit transfers, accreditation is a must. And it sure looks better on a resume than Joe Bob’s Grafx Dezignin. Well, you get the point.
Here are the benefits from distance learning:
- Learn when you have time (many classes are self-paced within a certain period of time).
- Get a better degree or certification.
- Obtain updated, sellable job skills
- You will have a sense of mind knowing that comes from knowing you accomplished your dreams
An education is important and the fact is we never stop learning. It just helps that knowledge pays more. Find out what opportunities are available through distance learning.
By R. S. Wagner