| For my Dad's birthday, I offered to pay for him to do a | | | | are available online. You have to be careful that you |
| Bachelors online degree through an online university. I | | | | go for a well-respected organisation and not just |
| know that he has been increasingly worried by the | | | | anyone trying to take your money. Watch out for any |
| recent redundancies that have been going on at his | | | | websites that don't have a phone number that you |
| company. Anyone who has not been performing a | | | | can call in order to speak to someone in person. Also |
| vital role for the business has been culled like a fluffy | | | | don't pay any money upfront until you are 100% happy |
| while Canadian seal pup and everyone is nervous. | | | | with what you are paying for. Find out how many |
| With huge businesses all over the country going bust | | | | lectures and how much work you will be set, what |
| and more redundancies being announced on the news | | | | qualifications you will gain and who the accrediting |
| each day it's no surprise that people are getting | | | | bodies are. Research the accrediting bodies |
| nervous. | | | | independently to establish if they do have links to the |
| I know that he would feel better if he were doing | | | | organisation and make sure to enquire about their |
| something that would improve his chances of being | | | | professional reputation. |
| kept on in the company. Even if he were let go then | | | | Many people can be wary about buying anything |
| he would have a better chance of finding another job | | | | online. With the scandal of online bought degrees it is |
| if he adds to his qualifications. Dad never went to | | | | understandable that individuals are reluctant to even |
| university and he didn't stay at school for his O levels. | | | | look into the possibility of Internet related learning. It can |
| Although he is incredibly intelligent he has been a | | | | also be off-putting for people with limited experience |
| salesman all his life, preferring to be out 'in the thick of | | | | of computers who find out the majority of learning will |
| things' as he puts it, rather than sitting behind books in a | | | | be done over the Internet. Technology has improved |
| classroom. | | | | greatly in the last ten years and it doesn't take long to |
| It's not overly expensive to do an online course, | | | | pick up how to use a state of the art laptop or |
| especially when you compare it to the price that UK | | | | computer. I know the computer that my dad has |
| universities charge to attend. I can easily afford it and I | | | | bought for the course was great value, now he has |
| feel that it would be a much better and more useful | | | | something to play solitaire, e-mail and look at his digital |
| present than the cashmere socks that YOU magazine | | | | pictures on as well as earning a degree. Even including |
| is urging me to buy. This is the year of thriftiness, not | | | | the cost of the computer the course is still cheaper |
| throwing twenty pound notes away on socks. | | | | than traditional on campus learning! |
| I looked carefully into home learning the degrees that | | | | |