In addition to the over 3 million college students who are taking at least some of their classes online, there are online high schools, online career training schools and courses and continuing education for adults online.

A 2005 survey by the National Center for Education Statistics found that 44% of American adults, almost 93 million people, were pursuing some type of continuing education.

They also note reported that 32% of these adults had participated in some form of distance or online education. This means that almost 30 million adults were involved in learning or taking a class online.
Why do people take online continuing education classes?

The NCES survey found that 27% of continuing education students were taking work-related courses or training programs, While 21% were taking courses to pursue personal interests, and 4% were part-time students working on a university degree.

Dr Kenneth Hartman, director of academic affairs for Drexel University Online says “Online learning is the fastest growing area in higher education today. As more and more adults look to higher education to expand their knowledge base for promotional or new career opportunities, they will look to online learning as a convenient and viable way to continue their education.”

It is now estimated that the average person will change careers 3-5 times during their lifetime. Online classes and training can allow you to prepare for a career change without quitting your job and going back to school. You can take university or college classes online that will count towards a degree, or career training classes, which generally are not transferable to universities.
What kind of personal interest classes are available online?

The second most common reason people take continuing education classes is for personal satisfaction or personal interest. In this area, the choices are tremendous.
Have you always been fascinated by ancient Egypt? Would you like to learn about the history of Egypt, study hieroglyphics and archeological discoveries? For only $149, you can take an interactive online course in Egyptology.

Or have you dreamed of tracing your family tree and exploring your family history, if you only knew where to start? You can take a 4-week online genealogy class that explains records searches, tips, chats and more for less than $30.

Or maybe you’ve always wished you could speak Italian or Spanish. You can take an online class, complete with instant translation features and become proficient in a short time. Courses are available in 7 languages for under $30.

Are there practical or hobby classes available online?

Oh, yes. There are hundreds of choices in the continuing education or noncredit field, and some of them are very practical and helpful. For example, would you like to learn how to prepare your own taxes instead of paying someone to do it? You can take an online course in Tax Preparation for around $50 that will teach you about forms, filing status, income, credits, pensions and more.

If you are over 50 and want to save some money or just refresh your driving skills, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) offers an online Driver Safety class for around $20. This could get you a discount on your auto insurance and make you feel more comfortable on the road.

Now that spring is on the way, are you thinking of gardens? Perhaps you live in an apartment or don’t have much of a yard. You can still have a beautiful garden in containers. The Horticulture Gardening Institute can teach you which plants to choose and how to care for them in their online class “Art and Science of Container Gardening” for around $70.

A more expensive option is an online class in digital photography. While the beginning class is around $300, it is an 8-week class and includes critiques and instruction from professional photographers. If you would like to learn photography on this level, this could be a great opportunity.

Or, if you are mainly concerned with learning how to use the digital camera you got as a gift, you may want to check out “The Art of Digital Photography” at UniversalClass. This class covers areas such as using the camera, scanning images, printing pictures and choosing cameras, along with basic photography for around $99.

If we haven’t mentioned an online class that interests you, check out universal class.com, as they have more than 500 classes available and most of them are reasonably priced. You can choose from areas such as cooking, pet care, fitness, web development and many more. (www.universalclass.com)

So, no matter what your educational level or interests, there will be an online class that will be right for you. Whether you use it to get ahead at work, obtain a college degree or simply make your life better through learning something new, online classes truly offer something for everyone.

Many graphic artists began their career by simply drawing on their home computer using the available free software tools. As their skills grew they found that they really enjoyed it, and began to purchase more complicated software. In fact, if you allow your child to download a bit of design software you might be surprised what they come up with.

Then, many graphic designers headed to a school or college for graphic design. This is one area in the career world where there are all types of positions. There are a combination of positions for marketing and design, there are strictly design jobs, and of course, there are a wide variety of computer graphic jobs such as video games, special effects, and others.

While you might have a talent for graphic design you will not know the best tools, the most innovative software, or even know where to turn to with your talent without a network. Your network can come from the schools that you take design classes from, and it can even be an online school.

The big thing to realise is that although you may be a talented designer, if you quit your day job you’re liable to starve. There are plenty of freelance sites available where you can go for graphic design work, but you still need to build a reputation with these freelance sites before the jobs become dependable. So if you are interested in freelance graphic design, keep your day job, and pick up a few jobs at these types of freelance sites and slowly but surely build your business.

When it comes to graphic design schools, you can probably find one to fit your budget. Also, don’t forget, that there may be government aid available for you to go to school with. So choose the school you want and research all of the student loans, or government aid for your graphic design school, and then make sure that you get good grades so you can get a job when you get out.

If you’re not interested in going to a regular graphic arts design school, there are plenty of classes that you can take on the Internet. Once again, make sure that you do put the time in whether it’s part time or full time. You’ll learn a lot about computer software, graphic design basics, and begin a network even with the online classes.

The graphic design world is getting bigger and bigger, and so graphic design artists are always being needed. You can work a graphic arts design job as a freelancer, work in an office, or start your own company. Anyway you look at it you’re still going to need a network, and going to school for graphic arts is one of the ways to create one.