[GettinMyBA]

Hi,
Welcome to the group! So your cherry just got popped... congrats! You probably laid back, stared at the ceiling, smoked a cigarette, then went to sleep.

Please don't misunderstand my answer as being harsh or rude in any way - not my intention:

What you are really asking is: Do you feel that the degree you'll soon be obtaining is worthless? Do you think that you're just wasting your time, effort, and money by pursuing this?

I am not offended by the questions because I believe that you are asking them from the heart, but of course you must realize that if any of us thought as you indicated, we would have stopped the pursuit as soon as we came to the realization. Earlier this evening, in a private email to a member of this group (who has become so supportive of my efforts that I call her a 'dear friend' although we have never actually met and likely never will), I confessed that I cannot remember the last time that my wife and I went to sleep at the same time. This is because I spend my nights... almost ALL of my nights... until 3am-4am... studying. I've spent FAR less time with my two year old daughter than I would have liked to - again, studying. I've spent countless hours doing research and writing papers, studying for tests, and creating forum posts in the hopes of giving someone else (who's chasing the same goal as mine) hope and support. Do you think I would give up all this for something that an employer might scoff at? Do you think I give a crap what other colleges think? (For the record, colleges that do not offer 'degree at a distance' programs will certainly try to belittle the value, until their program kicks off, which will eventually happen because shortly, ALL colleges will be offering what the BIG 3 are currently offering). They're called the BIG 3 for a good reason.... the BIG 3 INNOVATORS.

Based on the (large) number of "degree mills" out there, a market definitely exists for cracker-jack box college degrees. That's the reason that the accreditations are so strict - to protect the reputations of the deserving schools. News flash.... The Big 3 are held to the same rigid standards of accreditation as all brick & mortar schools, have their processes, standards, and educators reviewed and re-evaluatted just as frequently, and by way of their having been granted their certifications... received the same designators as such schools as Harvard, Yale, Boston Univ, UCLA, etc.

Dr. Mark Kassop, a brick & mortar AND online professor, and esteemed Sociologist wrote a very interesting article called "Ten Ways Online Education Matches, or Surpasses, Face-to-Face Learning". Great article which has been referenced and reprinted more than 10,000 times by his count (I know him because I've taken 2 of his courses). Click here to see the article - very well done piece.

The response that I've just given could be construed as an 'attack' just as much as the post that I'm replying to can. I trust that the original was not meant to be an attack, as I hope that my response is not taken as an attack.