Ahhhhh ... it's that time of year again! The hard labor of academic semesters finally bear fruit to graduation season. If you were wondering, online and distance learners get to enjoy commencement ceremonies just like everyone else:

"Graduation day was a milestone Julie Cramton didn't want to miss.
 
She wasn't just proud of the bachelor's degree in English she earned in two and a half years from the University of Illinois at Springfield. The Saginaw, Mich., resident had never stepped foot on the campus, let alone Springfield, and it was time for that to change.

'It was very important for me to be here,' Cramton, 37, said following Saturday's ceremony at the Prairie Capital Convention Center. 'I thought about how much what I learned means to me and how wonderful the professors and admissions office and financial aid had been as they all worked with me by phone and e-mail. I thought, "You know, after all the hard work, I need to come down here and meet some of these people."'"

This State Journal-Register article also notes that at UIS, "two-thirds of those enrolling in the online degree program are female, and the average age is 37 years old."

Ladies (gents, too), take note: it is never too late to go back to school.

Repeat after me.

It is never too late to go back to school!

You are not the only one whose career and/or children interrupted your education way back when. (Meet other people like you in our forums.) The reality is that many of us will have to continue to work beyond normal retirement age. As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, going back for a college degree will be essential in order to maintain or further one's career. Begin your search for online learning today!