Today more adults than ever are going back to school to further their careers and many are choosing to enroll in online classes. There are many advantages to using an online school to get your degree. These benefits are environmental as well as personal. Choosing an online school will give you flexibility and convenience in your schedule and will significantly decrease your carbon footprint. Here are some excellent benefits to using an online college degree program.
Less Paper— Enrolling in an online school saves a great deal of paper. Paper is used for textbooks, printing documents and assignments and for lecture notes. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, paper is America’s largest percentage of municipal trash. This accounts for about 71 million tons a year, or about 29 percent of our yearly trash. Imagine how much paper you could save as one person by enrolling online, which means that you could be using e-books and digital materials.
Less Gas— At the price of fuel these days, finding ways to save on gas is essential. However, it’s important to note that this benefit not only affects college costs,but the environmental impact you’ll be making as well. Even if you decide to use carpooling or public transportation to a brick and mortar school, you’d still have the cost of transportation to cover, in addition to the fuel emissions. Some schools also charge a parking fee. The use of fossil fuels creates a heavy burden on our environment and leaves a much larger carbon footprint.
Fewer Expenses— By enrolling in an online program, you won’t have the expenses of pizza, sandwiches, chips, coffee, soda, water and other snacks and beverages while on campus. This can save you up to $2,000 or more over the course of your program. In addition to these, you’ll also be spending money on textbooks and other supplies. A recent report shows that college students are buying almost 60 percent of their books from the college bookstore. This means that these students are paying “full price” unless the book is used. You also won’t need to spend money on clothing, since you can wear your pajamas if you want to.
More Time and Convenience— An online college degree program allows you to attend class any time of day or night or whenever it’s convenient for you. This means that you can still work and make your living while getting a degree to improve your career. Enrolling in an online program means that you can literally be in two places at once! Online schooling gives you the flexibility in your schedule while studying your way into a better life. The online classroom is open literally 24/7, so you can both work and study without it negatively affecting your schedule.
Considering all of the accredited online college degree programs available now, it’s worth it to evaluate whether or not it will work for you. The online college degree program can give you the success you want while helping you to decrease your carbon footprint. Now is the time to go green through a college degree.
Sources
http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/paper/basic_info.htm
http://oedb.org/library/distance-vs-local/10-advantages-to-taking-online-classes
http://www.nacs.org/toolsresources/cmip/faq/textbooks.aspx
http://www.turnto23.com/news/your-neighborhood/south-county/high-gas-prices-hit-college-students