My job is to write about online education. Sometimes I try to write funny pieces, like this one. And other times I try to write serious pieces, like this one. Unbelievably though, I’ve never taken an online course. And I haven’t been in school since 2006. So basically I’m like those politicians who claim to be in touch with the realities of public school systems; meanwhile, their own kids are off studying in Switzerland.

But I have a plan. I’m going to enroll in at least 2 online courses. I’m going to become an e-learning student expert, and I’m going to tell the world what it’s like to take a class online. In the meantime, I’m here to field questions from anyone and everyone who’s curious about the online education basics.

To get myself started, I found the perfect set of training wheels. If you’re already familiar with the Test Drive College Online site, then you know what I’m talking about. But if you stumbled across this blog by accident, I should explain that Test Drive College allows perspective students to take a single college course – for FREE – and use the credits towards a college degree from Kaplan University or another participating online school.

There are like, 19 obvious advantages to this option. Firstly, trying anything for free is awesome – especially when the trial is genuinely free, as this one is. If I hate my online class, I won’t have wasted any money, and I won’t feel handcuffed to a program I don’t want to complete. But if I do well, I’m already on my way to fulfilling the necessary credit requirements for an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.

The other great thing about Test Drive is that the people behind the program walk you through everything. Literally – EVERYTHING. You start by taking the College Assessment Exam (more on that in a later post), and then a TDCO advisor calls you within 24 hours to explain the process.

If you’re thinking about going back to college online, this is a smart way to get started. And if you get started soon, we might be in the same Test Drive class! Stay tuned for more updates from me, as I get started in my first online class…