Online learning can be a great way to get a degree, however it is not for everybody. It is important that you understand that there are disadvantages to learning online. These disadvantages are not necessarily a reason not to study this way and in fact they are not a disadvantage for everybody. However you do have to consider them so that you can make a realistic assessment about whether or not it is a good option for you.
Far and away the biggest disadvantage of learning online is that it most people lack the discipline that is required to do it successfully. Studying online takes a lot of work and many people find that without somebody there to tell them to do their work they simply won't do it. You are going to have be very realistic in assessing whether or not you are going to be able to motivate yourself to do the work. If you are one of those people who needs to have your boss tell you to get to work you are probably not well suited to online learning.
The other big issue that comes up with online learning is the ability to manage your time. Most people really struggle with this because the nature of online learning allows them to study whenever it is convenient. The problem is that most people find that there never is a convenient time because of everything else going on in their lives. Without a time set specifically for studying a lot of people find that it is too easy to simply skip their studies and not do them.
One thing that may or may not be a disadvantage of online learning is that you will have no interaction with your teachers or other students. For some people this is no big deal while for others this is an important part of learning, not to mention the school experience. If you are one of those people who needs to discuss things in order to understand them, or who simply things that the social aspect is an important part of attending school then you might want to think hard about whether or not online learning is the right choice for you.
Another thing that you have to consider is that online learning hasn't got the best reputation in the world. While it is becoming more and more accepted there are still some people who think that an online degree is not as good as one attained through regular degree programs. While progress has been made in this area we are starting to see a bit of a backslide. As more and more colleges are set up specifically to offer online degrees that are of very questionable value a lot of people have started to really question the quality of the education that is being offered.