Online education has changed the academic landscape of the country. More andmore students now prefer the flexibility of an online college degree to thefixed schedule of classroom-based learning.

Unfortunately, anything that has the potential to revolutionize anestablished system comes with its own set of detractors and misconceptions.Critics will only fade away with time, but we can try to dispel the incorrectperceptions about online education. Here are five top online degrees mythsdispelled and separated from online degrees facts.

Online degree myth: Quality of onlinedegrees is lower than that of campus-based degrees.

Online degree fact: This may have been true some yearsback, but with the increasing popularity of and demand for online degreeprograms, education providers have certainly upped the ante as far as qualityis concerned. Accredited institutions offering online education have to adhereto the strict quality standards set in place by the agency that recognizes themor risk losing their accreditation. Moreover, the curriculum of most onlinedegree programs offered by brick and mortar colleges is the same as theclassroom degrees. However, be wary of diploma mills that continue to grantdegrees that are substandard and of little academic value.

Online degree myth: Online degrees are not accepted byemployers.

Online degree fact: If you earn your degree from aprestigious, accredited institution, there is no reason why employers woulddismiss it. Employers now recognize the importance of technology in impartingeducation and are also aware of the improvement in the quality of online collegedegrees, which is why they are likely to treat them at par with atraditional degree.

Online degree myth: Online degrees mean you have littleoutside help.

Online degree fact: Yes, online degrees involve a greatdeal of self tutoring, but that doesn’t mean you’re on your own and don’t getany help from instructors. Any institution of repute has a proper system inplace for helping their online students. You may be able to speak to yourprofessors over the phone or get your doubts clarified on email. Yourinstitution may also assign you a student advisor or a study partner ifnecessary.

Online degree myth: Online degree programs are easier thanclassroom degrees.

Online degree fact: This is perhaps the biggest mistakethat students make when enrolling in an online program. Before you commityourself to an online degree, you should be aware that not only do they havethe same curriculum and difficulty level as on campus degrees, but they alsorequire a lot of independent study. You will probably be juggling youreducation with other commitments and need both discipline and focus to stay ontop of your coursework.

Online degree myth: With online degrees, I can studywhenever I like.

Online degree fact: While it’s true on a broad level thatmost online degrees are not location or time specific, some programs mayrequire you to log in for live video lectures at times. You will have deadlinesfor submitting assignments and projects and will be required to appear forexaminations as scheduled.