Thanks to Markerly and Concordia University Wisconsin for partnering with me on today’s post. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always. 

I often joke about how my master’s degree that I earned by the time I was 23 is now serving as extremely expensive artwork on my wall.

It’s funny because it’s true.

I’m working in an entirely different field than what I have professional training in, and because I consider myself to be quite teachable, so far it has worked out. But there have been many moments when I have longed for a business class or a marketing class I could take online to give me some additional grounding in the subject matter. I also often remind myself that even if I had earned a marketing degree in undergrad or grad school, by now that information would be totally irrelevant since I graduated before social media was a thing. Basically, learning is a lifetime thing, friends.

Online education, as it turns out, is a sensible choice for me if I’d like to develop new skills or just stay current in a field. It’s a fantastic choice for many busy moms out there, like me, who might be thinking of switching careers or who want to enhance their resume with more education before returning to the work force after taking a break to be with the little ones.

If you are thinking about pursuing education for yourself right now, but you feel overwhelmed at the thought of enrolling in your nearest college or university, here are some reasons to consider trying online options. 

1. Convenience

The importance of convenience simply cannot be overstated for moms with young ones at home. In this season of life, we get to do things for ourselves in little scraps of time throughout the day, or very early in the morning (that’s what I go for) or late at night. Or all of the above. An online education, such as what is offered at Concordia University Wisconsin, offers classes that meet asynchronously. This means that you have assignments to complete every week by certain times, but you aren’t required to sit down in front of the computer at a specific time on a specific day. You have the freedom and flexibility to get your work done at the time that works for you.

2. Minimal “Life” Interruption

Since you are taking classes on your computer and at your convenience, your life will experience fewer disruptions. You aren’t going to have to miss important family events for class, for example. You also aren’t going to have to hire a sitter to go to class, or leave work early (if you are already working outside of the home) to attend a lecture. Of course advance planning is going to be requried to get all of your work done in a timely fashion, but with proper planning, the inconvenience to other components of your life will be quite small, which is awesome.

3. Costs Often Lower

When compared with the expenses of enrolling in a more traditional college setting, online courses can often be less expensive. Even if tuition is comparable to your local university, consider additional expenses that you won’t incur with an online option, such as commuting, course materials, and even free course offerings (Concordia Univeristy Wisconsin has many free courses. I recently took one on social media!).

4. So Many Choices

Whether you want to learn a few new tidbits for the fun of it, stay up-to-date in your current field, enhance your educational foundation with a higher degree, or go all out and pursue a doctorate in a completely different area than what you’ve studied before, you can do it all online. Online courses do not mean limited selection!

I know that feeling of being beyond pressed for time,I really do. But if you have a desire to enhance your educational skill set, don’t let yourself believe that this dream has to wait. You may not be able to puruse it as quickly as you could when you were younger and didn’t have all these adult responsibilities, but you definitely CAN take a step toward your dreams right now. In this season of life, many things really dohave to wait, but education doesn’t need to be one of them, thanks to online programs like what is offered at Concordia University Wisconsin.