Hi All,

I am a single mom, working 24 hours a week and homeschooling my 3 children AND thinking about going back to school.  I am in the research stage and becoming more and more confused each day.  I am overwhelmed with the amount of options that are out there for on-line learners.  This is a big decision and I want to make the right decisions for me and my family and my future.  Every time I think I have narrowed down the options another school possibility pops up with a major that I think might be a better fit.   At this point I am leaning towards a major in Interdisciplinary Studies because that way I could combine my interests.  If anyone has any advice on how you finally chose a college then please let me know.  My biggest factors have been cost, majors available, accreditation and (and this seems dumb) how good of a website they have so I can gather information.  I am seriously considering  Columbia Southern, Regent, Liberty, Walden and Capella.  I would love some feedback.

 Thanks!

Lisa

Hi Lisa, and welcome!

It's a good thing to be aware of your interests, but the real question is this: What do you want to do, personally or professionally, that you cannot do without a degree?  Once you have a specific goal, then it will be much easier to determine which degree programs out there will help you reach that goal, and which ones will not.

Then you can start weighing things like tuition rates, etc.

So... what do you want to do?

-=Steve=-

Hi Steve,

First off, I want to live in Dominica instead of Ohio....but I don't think that is what you were asking.  The truthful answer is that I wish I knew.  I have a natural talent for planning events.  I am a very detailed oriented person, I tend to be a starter and I am good at motivating people.  My "business" experience is limited to being the Children's Ministry Associate at my church.  My duties included directing our VBS (400 kids and 250 volunteers), directing Kids Camp, overseeing one of our Sunday School hours (150 kids) and anything else our childrens pastor asked me to do.  My dream job would be in the Hospitality Industry or in non-profit as an event planner.  However, there are no degrees in event planning and I want a degree that I can transfer into many different arenas...hence my desire to go for Business Management or Administration (I have also considered Project Management and Leadership).  My desire would be to attend a college that does offer hospitality classes so that I can take some for my electives.  I also need a college that is affordable (around $250 per semester credit or less), regionally accredited (preferred), uses Blackboard or some other way that you interact with fellow students (I believe you can learn a lot from this interaction) and is in the Federal Financial Aid program.  I seem to be having trouble finding this combination.  I am a Christian and so finding a college that is faith based would be an added bonus. 

The more I speak with the people from Columbia Southern the more reluctant I get...they don't seem to know the answers to the questions I ask and they are fairly basic questions.  Regent is high priced unless I can qualify for one of the scholarships and Liberty seems good but I wish they had more offerings (no Leadership major and no hospitality major) so that my elective choices was broader.  

If you (or anyone else) has any recommendations then PLEASE let me know.  I am following all leads but so far I have not found a perfect fit.

 Thanks,

Lisa

From what I've read thus far about you a good fit for majors to research are:

Project management.  Although you mention business administration and management there are really 3 areas of management that often get blurred into a distorted view of managment due to overlapping characteristics and skill sets.  Business management can be "functional management" (the boss) "project management" (ie objective oriented management) and leadership. 

Almost any manner of event planning is actually project management in disguise.  It deals with teams of people, budgets, timelines, vendors, etc.  All of the elements of a project but in very specific terms.  Event management IS project management.  Although many of the business administration skills are necassary for any project manager, project management often does not have the luxury of functional management and thus requires more soft skills, ability to gain buy in, etc.

Hotel management requires skills in all three areas actually.  My sister works as a hotel manager and spends as much time doing accounting as she does event planning or resource allocation, procurement, inventory checks, etc.  She has to tap all three areas of her skill sets to roll into the role of "hotel manager".  As such a BSBA with an emphasis in project management would be excellent to have.  Then a certificate in hospitality on top would be the cherry on top of the cake, but if you don't enjoy the concepts of business admin, you may not want to undertake the degree as you may lose interest or feel overwhelmed.  Business administration can be intensive in numbers, accounting, finance, economics, statistics, etc.  It's a hard skills driven area of study.

Degrees in organizational management or just management would be a good fit, maybe not perfect but if you have applied experience you could easily take the concepts you are learning into the workplace without getting overly deep in the areas of hard skills.  A nice mix actually...

Organizational management is much the same way.  Check out these schools http://www.elearners.com/search/online-degrees/bachelor/hospitality.htm of this list Ashford University's BS in Org. Mgmt. with an emphasis in Hospitality Management seems spot on for what you would like to do.

 Or check out http://www.elearners.com/search/online-degrees/hotel.htm.

If that's too much money and you don't require financial aid, Amberton University http://www.amberton.edu/Default.aspx

You could also try American Public University, Columbia College, etc. for a BS in Management.  Ashford looks johnny on the spot though...

travelbug:

First off, I want to live in Dominica instead of Ohio....but I don't think that is what you were asking.

So move there.  Seriously, why not?  Event planning is closely related to the tourism industry, and that's what's big in the Caribbean.

You may not want to dismiss Liberty University.  They're Christian, they have a good reputation for doing distance learning effectively, and at $270/semester-hour their undergraduate tuition rate is within shouting distance of what you wanted.  I know theirs is a straight Bachelor's degree in Business, but if you otherwise like them you could tailor your Business course assignments to your own interests -- e.g., when they say to write a marketing plan, do one for an event planning startup.  I lot of times schools that offer a variety of differently named majors don't have that much difference among them anyway.

Thanks to both of you.  I have been following up on the all of the suggested colleges.  Ashford does have everything I am looking for but the cost is a bit high.  I am working on the financial side of all of this right now.  I am considering all my options.  I know an education is an investment but I want to be smart in the choices I make.  If I can get the same quality education from a less expensive school then I want to do that.  Do either of you (or anyone else) know much about American Public University?  They have the major and classes that I would like but at a reasonable cost ($250.00 per credit and the books are free due to a book grant).  I just have not seem all that much about them.

 As for moving to the Caribbean....it is in the long term plans.  Unfortunately I am divorced and do not want to take the kids away from their father.  In the next few years the kids and I would like to start spending winters there (Jan-March).  We have been researching the different islands and what they offer.  If we love it then we would like to eventually move their full time and visit here.  They have it all planned out...My son wants to be a private pilot and fly people between islands, my middle daughter wants to do photography and cook so she will cook for our Inn and do photo shots for people who visit the island and my youngest wants to do eco tours (swim with the dolphins or sting rays, hiking, birdwatching).  We will see....life is full of possibilities.  You and your families can both come visit us for a free week when we do!

Thanks again for all the help and advice!

Lisa

travelbug:

Thanks to both of you.  I have been following up on the all of the suggested colleges.  Ashford does have everything I am looking for but the cost is a bit high.  I am working on the financial side of all of this right now.  I am considering all my options.  I know an education is an investment but I want to be smart in the choices I make.  If I can get the same quality education from a less expensive school then I want to do that.

Absolutely!  People too often feel like money is no object when it comes to education, and that's a big mistake. 

Do either of you (or anyone else) know much about American Public University?  They have the major and classes that I would like but at a reasonable cost ($250.00 per credit and the books are free due to a book grant).  I just have not seem all that much about them.

Ah, they're very good, in fact they're perhaps my favorite all-online school.  APU and American Military University are actually two names for the same university, and they get good reviews for customers service, diversity of programs, and price.

As for moving to the Caribbean....it is in the long term plans.  Unfortunately I am divorced and do not want to take the kids away from their father.

As a father, I appreciate your ability to put your kids welfare above whatever feelings you might have toward their dad!

In the next few years the kids and I would like to start spending winters there (Jan-March).  We have been researching the different islands and what they offer.  If we love it then we would like to eventually move their full time and visit here.  They have it all planned out...My son wants to be a private pilot and fly people between islands, my middle daughter wants to do photography and cook so she will cook for our Inn and do photo shots for people who visit the island and my youngest wants to do eco tours (swim with the dolphins or sting rays, hiking, birdwatching).  We will see....life is full of possibilities.  You and your families can both come visit us for a free week when we do!

If you're interested in eco-tourism, definitely check out Dominica.  It's my wife's country, and it hasn't been overdeveloped like so many of the others.  In fact it's said that it's the only island in the area that Christopher Columbus would still recognize.

-=Steve=-

Hi Lisa,

Event planning is not an area where a degree would make a difference. Event planners are hired because of their background in the aforementioned field. I would begin by getting a position in a large hotel chain, Marriott, Hilton, Ritz Carlton, etc. Start anywhere, front desk , reservations, banquets, then get your degree in Hospitality management. Just build up your resume and always volunteer to assist large groups that have food and beverage aspects. When you are ready to move to the Caribbean you can transfer to one of their resorts. Also most of the hotel chains offer tuition assistance so you get some of your education paid for. Just some thoughts from someone who has worked at a major Orlando Resort, The marriott World Center. Good luck!!!

I second everything Steve said, especially regarding American Public U.  They are a very sound school and I wouldn't (and don't) hesitate recommending any of their programs if they have what you're looking for. 

Ashford sadly is a bit high, but the great thing about them is you can CLEP out of so many credits, then transfer in another 39 or so making up 99 of the 120 needed credits cutting costs way down...just a thought.

Again, thanks to all of the kind words, advice and encouragement.  I can honestly say that I am much closer to a decision then I was 2 weeks ago and much more informed about the entire process.  Sometimes I think I over research but I would rather go in with my eyes wide open.  When I come to a final decision in the next few weeks I will post it. 

 Just wondering....what are your (anyones) feelings about on-line only colleges and ones with a brick and mortar counterpart?  

It's funny that you say that, Cajun, because when I was finishing my Master's at GW, I went to campus to get a transcript done quickly and even though I'd been a student there for some time, and I was finally on campus, I just thought, "Meh." I guess most people would be different, though.

-=Steve=-