I started one of the previous articles with a quote from Napoleon Hill, the author of Think and Grow Rich, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Thanks to technology, anything is possible.

You can start a new business and sell products directly to customers without opening a single physical store. You can earn clients for your consulting business with the help of digital marketing and video conferencing. Want to get that master’s degree you have always wanted? Now, it is easier than ever.

Online degrees are not new, but they have gotten better over the years. While they started life as a shady practice of some unknown universities a decade ago, online degrees are now seen as more valuable than the equivalent offline degrees; even businesses are recruiting online graduates more.

So, can you really enroll in an online program and pursue a degree in the field you are in? The answer is a big YES. There are a few things you need to do to get started, and we are going to review those steps in this post.

Pick a Degree

The options are limitless when it comes to online degrees. Top names like the Carson-Newman Christian University are making more of their offline programs available to online students. There are even courses designed exclusively for online students.

Online courses let you be more specific with your major. If you are a nurse trying to get back into your career after a hiatus, for instance, you can look into a Master of Science in Nursing and specialize in becoming a family nurse practitioner (FNP).

The online FNP program at Carson-Newman is a fantastic option if this is the route you want to take. It offers advantages such as 100% online course activities and help with finding clinical site placements near you.

Check the Requirements

After choosing a degree to pursue, it is time to understand the requirements for that online degree further. Online courses are accredited by independent bodies, so they still follow the same strict standards as their offline counterparts.

Before you can enter an online program, you need to meet the admission requirements. What you need to do is download the program details from the university’s website and read more about the requirements you have to meet.

When pursuing a master’s degree, for instance, you have to have an undergraduate degree. In some cases, you also need to have an undergraduate degree in a particular field. On top of that, there may be education or career requirements imposed by the university.

Worry not, because not all programs are complicated; in fact, the majority of online course requirements are designed to be simple. You will be able to find a good program to enroll on in no time.

Get Ready for the Course

Enrolling in an online program is only the beginning. The next step is preparing yourself for the course for the pursuit for a dream degree. Online courses give you a lot of flexibility when it comes to time, but that doesn’t mean you can take the course lightly.

You are still required to complete exams and achieve certain grades to continue with the course. At the end of the program, you also have to work on a thesis – or a placement, depending on your major – to qualify for the degree.

These may seem like daunting tasks to tackle, but they are really not that difficult to manage. You can begin by letting everyone know that you are going back to school. That way, you get the support of everyone even before you get started.

Next, work on allocating a couple of hours every day for studying. You can even find a place to study if you need to focus and avoid distractions.

Pace Yourself

The same flexibility is found in the program itself. While online degrees come with program guides – which tell you which classes to take in every semester – you don’t have to follow them to the letter. You have complete freedom to pursue the higher degree at your own pace.

If you cannot afford to spend a couple of hours every day studying, take fewer classes and spend an hour instead. If you want to keep your weekends, you can adjust how many classes you can take too.

On the other hand, you can try to complete the course faster to a certain degree. A standard graduate program can be completed in as little as 12 to 15 months if you spend more time and take more classes. It is even possible to pursue multiple degrees at the same time; sounds exciting, doesn’t it?

For programs like the online FNP program at Carson-Newman, you also have to do clinical practicum or residency. However, Carson-Newman will help you find the right clinical site placement in your area. The university will also work with you in determining the right time for your practicum.

Get Your Degree!

Sticking with the online FNP program at Carson-Newman, the entire course takes an average of 32 months to complete. There are 12 courses to take, with each one being 15 weeks long. Again, you can adjust how you approach the online degree to shorten or lengthen the course for you personally.

It is also worth noting that there are plenty of resources to help you complete the course on time. Tips on how to be effective as an online student are easy to find; I will be discussing some in future articles too. Tools to help you stay organized are also available on the World Wide Web.

If you follow my advice and get the support of your family, things will be even easier. Whenever you feel less motivated, you will have people that remind you of your dreams and why you enrolled on the online course in the first place.

Staying motivated is the key here; the rest is easy as long as you want to pursue that degree. That brings us back to the quote from the beginning of the article:

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

Anyone can return to school with the help of online programs. You can too!

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