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Did this ever happen to you:

You wake up one morning with your stomach in a knot. A vision of your future looms before you. What does it look like? -- the same old frustrations: rent and utility payments you can scarcely meet, car problems that won't go away, mounting grocery prices, medical bills that multiply, second-hand clothes for the kids, and a menial job that's taking you nowhere -- ?

What you would like to see is a bright new shiny career, and the satisfying lifestyle that goes with it . . . is that right?

Well don't despair. Believe it or not, you're one of a large crowd of folks like you who have no time, or means, for commuting regularly to a bricks-and-mortar school or college, yet realize they are in acute need of more education.

This could mean the young ninth-grade-dropout who wants a high school diploma; the stay-at-home mom who would like to help out with the family budget; the aspiring entrepreneur who happens to be physically handicapped; the retiree who is looking for a second career; and many student-wanna-be's living in rural or remote areas.

No matter who you are, or where you live, the solution to your problem is easier than you think:

Online Learning by Computer is a popular academic process developed in response to a burgeoning need ' just like yours.

A preliminary search will provide a list of fine specialty schools, colleges, and universities that are currently offering online learning via computer. That's right, anyone can earn a diploma, or certificate, as well as a bachelor's or master's degree right from the comfort and convenience of their own home!

Available online learning courses run the gamut from arts and crafts, secretarial skills, retail management, accounting, and such, to the bachelor's or master's degree program of your choice. Here's what you will need:

' A sincere desire to improve your circumstances and position yourself closer to your life goals;

' A focused effort to make the process work;

' A computer with internet connection (or convenient access to one);

' A modest space in your home to set up your own little corner of academia;

' A realistic schedule that dovetails with the requirements of your full-time job and your family responsibilities.

How does it work? Something like this:

You will be assigned a personal tutor after you select the course(s) you want to take.

Lectures can be heard through speakers or head phones, or recorded to be reviewed at a later time.

You will arrange to logon to the class site at a time convenient to you, for a specified number of hours per week.

Your instructors can be contacted by email when you have questions.

Assignments - and tests - can be handed in by email, graded by the instructor, and returned to you.

You might be surprised to find a 'chat room' where you can speak with your fellow students to discuss the course, and exchange ideas. There might be live audio chat, as well.

Among the advantages of online learning, you might have discovered that

' You are able to fit valuable online learning into a very busy schedule -- with little effort ' when your own personal 'classroom' is just a few steps away;

' You will have twenty-four hour access to course materials;

' Your schedule will let you work at the time of your choosing and at your own pace;

' You can continue to work a full-time job for as long as you need to.

It will be your responsibility, of course, to develop good work and study habits as well as to keep on top of your assignments, just as you would in any bricks-and-mortar school setting.

Finances need not be a problem. Usually, a financial program can be tailored to your individual needs through grants, loans, or other means.

How much time will all this take ' ? Instead of counting the months, maybe even years, ask yourself, 'Where will I be this time next year if I ignore the opportunity - ?'

Is it worth it? When you're holding that piece of paper that says you've successfully completed your course ' and a great new career is within your reach ' you'll proudly say 'YES, it was worth it!'

Ask anyone who's been through it: Online Learning is a great way to go! Get started NOW.