Guide to Online Education > Online Education In-Depth > Meet Real Online Students > Don, B.S. in Criminal Justice
And the worst?
The worst thing can vary. For instance, if you are with a school with poor student support and can't get any help via email or phone, then the worst thing about distance learning can be poor customer/student support. Student support makes or breaks a school in my book.
Name: Don Palmer
Age: 28
Marital Status: Married
Current Location: Texas
Advice to Online Students: "Student support is the single most important aspect of online learning... so make sure that the school you choose has excellent student support."
School: Southwestern College
Target: B.S. in Criminal Justice, 2006
Otherwise, if you have a great school, the hardest thing about distance learning is keeping yourself motivated to keep going. It is a lot of work, some of it very difficult and you will spend hundreds of hours doing it for no immediate, tangible benefit but you have to keep a big picture perspective and keep moving on.
What did you learn from distance learning for your Associate's degree?
My Associate's degree was helpful in obtaining a promotion, but the knowledge I gained from the degree process is really what has been invaluable.
Earning a degree via distance learning has taught me the importance of the ability to communicate well through writing whether through email, memo, research paper, etc. Learning the ability to communicate effectively through writing has probably be the single biggest asset I have gained through distance education and it is something I use every day.
A degree may help you get a job or a promotion, but what you learned while earning that degree is what will keep that job and what you will use everyday.
From start to finish, about how long did it take you to complete your degree?
For the Associate of Science degree, it took me about 2 ½ years. Distance learning does not always make for a shortcut.
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