Who Are America's Online College Students & Where Do You Fit In?

Alektorophobia is the fear of chickens. Afraid of books? Bibliophobia. The fear of schools (from daycare through college) is scholionophobia. Whether you are a scholionophobic or simply have no time to attend a brick-and-mortar college, online education may be the answer to your sophophobia (fear of learning).

Examining the makeup of a typical online college student as we do in our new infographic, The Anatomy of an Online College Student, may help you to realize how easily you can tap into the world of online education, even if you have to conquer your cyberphobia (fear of computers).

What Online Courses Should You Take?

Unless you suffer from pinaciphobia (fear of lists), you may find your passion among these top 10 topics of online learners:

• Business
• Nursing
• Information Technology
• Criminal Justice
• Early Childhood Education
• Psychology
• Medical Billing
• Accounting
• Computer Science and Engineering
• Social Work

As the story goes for many online students, it's smart to find an online presence that grew from a provider's proven success in offering face-to-face classes. Online classes naturally emerge from great in-person classes, to widen their availability in important and popular subjects: 

• Technology
• Health science
• Business 
• Criminal justice
• Nursing

When you first venture into the world of online classes, you may not know exactly where your passion lies. By studying at a university with a wide range of offerings, you simplify a possible switch from one path to another. 

Why Take Classes Online? 

Perhaps you need to sit at home, alone, with the curtains drawn because of vestiphobia (fear of clothing), so online classes are your only option (and your neighbors are grateful). But most people take classes through the internet for better reasons: 

• Job Conflicts: Some 60 percent of online students are employed full-time and simply have no extra time to squeeze out attendance at in-person classes. They grab a few spare minutes where they can: before work, after the kids are in bed, during lunch hours or on weekends. 
• Chronomentrophobia: Okay, maybe they do not actually fear clocks, but 64 percent of online students like flexible schedules, not rigid class meeting times. They can sign on at two in the afternoon or two in the morning.
• Money: Peniaphobia (fear of poverty) may drive some, but 30 percent of online students love that online courses are cheaper than brick-and-mortar classes. Taking online classes also leads 40 percent of those earners to better prospects within a year of program completion, from promotions to better pay. 
• Zemmiphobia: As much as 0 percent of...wait...zee...zemm... zemmiphob... Look, if you have a fear of giant mole rats, perhaps online courses are not your issue and you should really be seeing a mental health care professional. 

Online College . . . Can You Hack It?

Wondering if you are up to the challenge of online education?  Successful online students share several common traits, zemmiphobia not being one of them. These model students show: 

• Persistence
• Organization
• Internet navigation skills
• Self-discipline
• Time management skills
• Computer smarts

In addition, they are unafraid to ask for help. Atychiphobia (the fear of failure) is not part of their mindset. They are goal-oriented self-starters. Do you have that kind of inner strength? Do you have that vision to set a goal and work toward it?

Anybody can generate long lists of excuses (except, of course, graphophobics, who fear writing) about why they cannot take a class and advance their potential. Every one of us has problems and challenges. Online students succeed because they find ways to work around, over, or through their challenges. According to our research, they find programs that: 

• Allow study anytime, anywhere
• Are student-centered 
• Allow for every student to work at the pace that feels right
• Balance study, family and work 
• Do not take summers off so credits accumulate quickly

Hallmarks Without Halls

Online education is everywhere. Online presence is far easier to put together than an actual campus, so what do the best students look for in online education? To begin, consider a program that emerges from an actual, brick-and-mortar school. Look for hallmarks of excellence, without, of course, actual halls. Here are some of the hallmarks most important to online students:

• A robust online library: Readily available resources speed learning and reduce frustration.
• Flexibility: Sign on at any time, day or night, and advance your understanding minute by minute.
• Location independence: Go online from the sidelines of your child's baseball game, or during a commute, or from the waiting room of the third doctor you have seen about that nagging fear that you have forgotten something (that's athazagoraphobia, and what you forgot is that you have vestiphobia and everyone would appreciate it a whole bunch if you would just put some pants on now, please). 
• Faculty support: Real people are available to help you individually

And because of this, it may be no surprise that nearly 90% of online students reported that online study was equal to or better than classroom study.

Phonophobics, Rejoice!

For all who fear using the telephone, you can contact ECPI University online to learn more about earning an online degree in technology, health science, business & criminal justice, or nursing in as little as 18 months.

Are You Ready?

More than 33 percent of online students reported being motivated to take online classes.  Free yourself to build your future. Free yourself of all your fears, even hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia (fear of long words). Contact ECPI University today--it could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

DISCLAIMER - ECPI University makes no claim, warranty or guarantee as to actual employability or earning potential to current, past or future students or graduates of any educational program we offer. The ECPI University website is published for informational purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained on the ECPI.edu domain; however, no warranty of accuracy is made. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its content.

For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.