If you do not live near a college, how do you go to school? For Jo Beth Hensel and others in her community, online college was the answer. “There’s quite a few that have gone to online college because its 75 miles to school one way,” Jo Beth said in a recent interview.
Online college is a perfect solution for people who do not live near a school but need to update their skills to compete in this slowed economy. This is especially true for those in rural areas. According to the Daily Yonder, rural unemployment is growing at a faster pace than the national average of 10.4 percent.
Jo Beth knows about this first hand. She explained to us that she realized that her office skills were obsolete when a friend of hers had trouble finding a job and was told just that. After comparing notes, Job Beth saw that she had the same problem and that they both had no way of reentering today’s workforce. Online college, however, helped to remedy that problem for both her and her friend.
Getting Over That Hump
When it came to trying online college, Jo Beth worried that she would not be able to fit it into her life. Test Drive College Online showed her that it was possible to go to school online. “It got me a little bit over that hump of “Can I do this?” she said. “It got me to realize that I could do it and that it wasn’t as hard as going to conventional school.”
Jo Beth is now working toward a degree in medical transcription. According to her, online learning is now just a part of her daily routine. She does, however, warn that it takes a great deal of discipline and the development of new skills especially if you are not use to being on a computer. That is why Test Drive College Online is so important for people thinking about going to college online; the innovative program allows them to see if online learning is right for them while at the same time getting a completely online free college course.
Jo Beth has been able to get mostly A’s and B’s in her courses. She has also been able to develop the skill of listening to the teacher and typing a response online. “It goes along with what I have to develop,” explains Jo Beth. “I have to develop the skill of being able to listen and type and punctuate everything all at the same time as a transcriptionist.”
April 21, 2010
Online College is the perfect option. The nearest university with my desired degree is over 100 miles away!! More people should try earning their degree online, they don’t know what they are missing.
April 21, 2010
I am considering going to college online, but I am concerned about getting extra help as one can do at an on campus school. Is there a way to get support at an online school>
April 30, 2010
Essentially does it even matter where you live? As long as you have an internet connection you can qualify for an online university?
May 5, 2010
I am interested in taking one olf these classes. How do I go about signing up?
May 6, 2010
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May 17, 2010
Katie: That is right – if you are accepted at an online school it does not matter where you live, you can go to class anywhere.
May 17, 2010
Susan: Actually most online schools have great resources for students to ensure that they do well in class. Many even offer free tutoring.
May 17, 2010
Eddie: All you have to do to apply for the Test Drive College Online program is go to the site and take the short college assessment test. If you pass, you will be contacted by a TDCO advisor who will speak to you about your education goals and make sure that TDCO is the right program to help you achieve them.
September 6, 2010
Online college really lowers the distance gap. Are these courses offered to international students?
October 15, 2010
Hello Hank, Test Drive College Online requires students be U.S Citizens. However, if you are a citizen and live abroad this program could be right for you.
December 12, 2010
This sounds like a wonderful option for those of us who live a bit of a ways out of the city. Not everyone can relocate for four years just to get a degree so its great to see programs like this exist to help those of us that fit that bill along our education.
February 21, 2011
Coming from a rural area where the nearest school is 10 miles away, I know how hard it is to get an education. It’s good to know that the Internet is making the world smaller, and the opportunities that come with it.