As a kid, looking at your report card, did you ever wonder what happened to the letter grade for "E "? From A+ to F, someone simply forgot about the E…
These days, E's are the staples of the online age. E equals "electronic" in e-mail (and eLearners.com). Online degree programs may not give out E's as letter grades either, but they definitely address two of the biggest E's on everybody's mind today — economy and Earth.
With gas prices reaching unprecedented heights, the cost of driving to college classes has some would-be students wondering if going back to school is such a smart move after all. An average college commuter might travel twenty or thirty miles to and from biweekly classes. At nearly four dollars per gallon, that could total nine hundred dollars over the course of a fourteen week semester.
Fortunately, online classes and degree programs require very few—if any—visits to a physical school site. Online students can attend classes, communicate with their classmates and instructors, and submit course work without ever getting behind the wheel. Money saved on fuel could be used towards textbooks, additional classes, or an overall savings in the cost of a continued education.
Saved fuel expense is also a savings for the planet. Gasoline burned by cars combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide. With more and more drivers on the road, driving bigger and heavier vehicles, greenhouse gases are forming a thicker blanket around the Earth, which, among other threats, contributes to problem of global warming.
Environmentalists agree that even small changes can make an impact. Opting to take a course at home reduces your personal carbon footprint, and supports an online institution that encourages other students to do the same.