Despite the exponential increase in distance education programs across the country, there haven’t been very many books written about how to find and enroll in a good school. There are plenty of books for instructors that explain how to teach at a distance, but there aren’t many published resources for prospective students. There are some, however! One of those is Accelerated Distance Learning by Brad Voeller.
Brad earned his college degree in just six months (and at a fraction of the cost of a traditional degree program) through aggressive completion of a distance education course of study. Brad’s example is certainly not normative for the majority of students, but his book does outline how similar speed can be achieved by:
Earning college credit through exams and life experience
Using proven techniques to cut study time in half
Preparing and following a study plan
What’s great about Brad’s book is that he also provides solid advice on how to choose a fully accredited distance education program. This is the section of the book that’s likely to be applicable to most prospective students. Not all of us want to complete our 4 year degree in 6 months, but all of us could most certainly use advice on what we should be looking for when evaluating a distance education program.
Until there are more books specifically aimed at helping students navigate the waters of pursuing a degree through distance education, we have to use what’s already out there. I’d recommend getting a copy of Brad’s book. While some of his material may not be applicable to your situation, he does provide some invaluable and practical information that should be taken into consideration when making a decision about which school to attend.