August 2009

Many students interested in obtaining a thorough education and legitimate degree become victims of diploma mills. After paying hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars, for what they hope will help them enter the next stage of their lives, these students receive a valueless piece of paper.

Diploma mills, also known as degree mills, are mainly for-profit companies disguised as higher education institutions. Though not recognized or accredited by authorized states or agencies, diploma mills continue to print and hand out fake degrees. In exchange for a fee, a college diploma mill will provide buyers with unofficial degrees and falsified transcripts after little or no effort from the student.

It’s mid-August, and I can already smell school in the air: newly sharpened No.2 pencils, plastic-covered bundles of paper, and, let’s not forget, freshly wiped computer screens.

While we know online courses can start at any time of the year, we thought we’d get into the back-to-school spirit now and share our tips on preparing for that monumental first day of online class.

Here are a handful of helpful preparation tips for new and returning online students:

• Read the syllabus: If the class syllabus (which will become a very good friend) is available to you before your online course begins, make sure to take advantage of your educator’s generosity. You can get a heads up on deadlines and better manage your workload.
• Contact your online instructor: It’s never too early to reach out and introduce yourself. Teachers are essential to successful learning in both traditional and online education.