Online Computer Degrees, The Key To Success? Word Count: 584 Summary: Computers are a vital business resource in today’s market. Where several years ago they were a helpful tool, now they are a necessity. Computers have taken an integral part in both personal and professional life. Because of this, many new computer jobs have opened up. From programming to maintenance, computer technology is here to stay. Many people who started working with computers did so in their own time and obtained a vast knowledge by independent learning. This experienc... Keywords: education,school,college,degree,scholarship,online degree Article Body: Computers are a vital business resource in today’s market. Where several years ago they were a helpful tool, now they are a necessity. Computers have taken an integral part in both personal and professional life. Because of this, many new computer jobs have opened up. From programming to maintenance, computer technology is here to stay. Many people who started working with computers did so in their own time and obtained a vast knowledge by independent learning. This experience can be used to earn a more formal degree and increase earning potential by obtaining an online computer degree. Computer science, technology, information systems and programming are a few of the computer degrees available online. Online computer degrees offer the flexibility of learning from home. This can be especially beneficial to people who are already working or have family responsibilities. Time constraints can hamper these people from attending traditional classes with rigid schedules, residency and attendance requirements. An online computer degree can solve this problem by allowing people to learn at their own pace, at their own time. Stay at home parents are ideal candidates for online computer degrees. While the children are at school, the parent can study and take courses online at their computer. They are not missing any responsibilities they have with their children and are using the free time they have to further their education. After a degree is obtained, the parent has more potential for getting employment outside the home. People with degrees generally earn more money even in an entry level position. This can allow the parent to be able to afford day care and have a second income. Even if a parent chooses to remain home after getting an online computer degree, there are many work-from-home opportunities that are available. One can easily do freelance work in programming or systems administration with a computer degree. These jobs are high paying and have flexible hours. However, without a formal education these types of positions are hard to come by. Most colleges and universities offer some type of online computer degree program. If there are no local colleges, a quick search on the Internet will result in many options. The majority of the work and learning is accomplished online. Occasionally, you may need to take a test at an authorized testing center. Most of these can be schedules at convenient times and work with local facilities for convenience. Generally, there is no long distance travel nor large blocks of time required. Obtaining an online computer degree is also usually less expensive than traditional college courses. Because there is no need for a dedicated teacher and classroom facilities, the cost for teaching a student online is much less. Therefore, most online degree programs are less expensive. Many programs also allow you to pay per class as you take classes. Traditional methods have you pay for the entire semester regardless of the number of classes taken. Online classes can help you budget better for an affordable, valuable education. Obtaining a higher education is becoming more important as people compete for jobs. Having a solid education will give you many more job options and grant a higher earning potential. An online computer degree will allow the flexibility to learn at your own pace while obtaining an education that will have a great deal of value. Since computers are here to stay and we will only see advances in this technology, earning an online computer degree is a great way to advance your education.