Online college courses don’t have to be all work and no play. Usually the first thing people think of when they hear “online course” is math, English, or business.

However, there is much more to online school than meets the eye. The benefits of being able to take classes on your own time and wherever you are make an online college education an attractive option.

Here are five online schools that specialize in areas that aren’t traditionally taught online.

1. The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division
This school offers fun and lucrative programs in things like culinary management, game art and design, kitchen and bath design, fashion retail and management, interior design, and even hotel and restaurant management. These are no common programs and offer graduates an opportunity to start an interesting career.

2. Jacksonville University’s Nursing School Online
Did you realize you can complete an MSN degree or an RN to BSN degree online? This school offers programs that can help you start or continue your nursing career. If you enroll in the online RN to BSN program you can continue to work as a nurse while earning your degree.

3. University of the Rockies Online
This school offers a Master of Arts in Psychology, Sports and Performance Psychology Specialization. With this interesting program you will learn all about what it takes to work in the sports world with trainers, coaches, physical therapists, athletic management, and athletes.

4. West Virginia University Online
West Virginia University Online offers a fashion merchandising program perfect for those who love clothes, design, and business. The program includes courses on the history of fashion, textiles, global issues as they relate to fashion, merchandise planning, and fashion, the body and culture, among others.

5. Brandman University Online
This school offers a unique program where you can earn your nutrion and wellness undergraduate certificate. With this training you can land a job in many fields including sports therapy, human resources, teaching, fitness, nutritional advisement, and health care.

Photo courtesy of snarkygurl on Flickr.

Let’s face it, one of the best parts of the holidays is all the delicious baked goods and Christmas treats. If you look forward to the cake, chocolate, or cookies every year, chances are you would make a great culinary artist. Some schools offer programs that specialize in baked goods, while others offer general culinary arts degrees. If you have a love for restaurants and trying new food, culinary arts management may be the right track for you.

Sometimes even online schools offer culinary arts programs so you can earn your degree through online courses while you work or keep up with your social life.

Try these Christmas cookie decorating techniques, test your culinary arts skills, and enroll in a culinary arts online course!

1. Stenciling - With this technique you frost your sugar cookies, put a stencil over the cookie, then cover the cut out area with sprinkles to make a shape on the cookie.

2. Flocking - Flocking lets you create a 3D sparkly effect on cookies. First you pipe frosting on the sugar cookie, cover the frosting with colored sugar, then shake of the extra sugar.

3. Drizzling - This delicious technique is done by drizzling confectioner’s sugar glaze, or melted chocolate over cookies.

4. Marbling - Marbling is an advanced technique where you frost sugar cookies with confectioner’s sugar glaze and let it dry before dipping a crumpled piece of wax paper into a thinner confectioner’s sugar glaze and pressing it onto cookies to make them look like they are marbled.

5. Dipping - Dipping involves dipping cookies halfway into a thin confectioner’s sugar glaze and letting the cookies dry before serving them.

6. Glazing and Decorating - To decorate your cookies this way, first frost them with confectioner’s sugar glaze and let it dry. Then use royal icing to pipe details and patterns on top.

Cookie, Glaze, Icing, and Frosting Recipes For These Techniques

What’s on your list of New Year’s resolutions? Is online college among lofty goals like losing weight and writing a novel?

A survey conducted by FranklinCovey Productions found that the top three New Year’s resolutions for 2010 were: to improve financial situation, to lose weight, and to develop a healthy habit like exercising or healthy eating. So, if you are already working toward such praise-worthy goals? Why not add online college to the list.

Here are just a few of the reasons we think you’ll be glad you did:

1. You will earn your degree.
2. You can stay qualified in your industry or get re-certified in your field.
3. You can work on school work while keeping up with your career and full-time job.
4. You can take online courses to learn a new hobby.
5. You can qualify for promotions.
6. You can finally land that dream job.
7. You can change career paths to something you enjoy more.
8. You can earn more money.
9. You will be able to take online college courses wherever you are, even when you travel.
10. You will set your own, flexible course and graduation schedule.
11. You can find an online school that has a program specializing in your field of interest.
12. You can take care of responsibilities at home, like kids, while you take online courses.
13. You can make yourself more marketable by becoming specialized in a specific area of your industry.
14. You can finish the degree you already started.
15. You can network with fellow professionals in your industry.

Not every online college student is a nerd. However, most are so overwhelmed with homework, tests, teachers, forums, group discussions, and readings that they can appreciate the nerd’s view of Christmas. Here are 10 nerdy Christmas decorations those earning their online college education will love:

1. Christmas Pie

Everyone knows pie goes with the holidays. So why not take it literally and put 3.14159 (and so on) on your Christmas tree?

Image from zazzle.com.

2. Abbreviated Santa

You can’t fit “Ho, Ho, Ho” on a button. Solution: Ho cubed.

Image from salepricefinder.com.

3. Gingerbread Hou..I mean Laptop

Nothing brings the Holiday spirit like a gingerbread laptop complete with a “mouse.”

Image from boingboing.net.

4. Wear Your Heart On Your Tree

You know your special someone really loves you for who you are when they say it on the Christmas tree.

Image from cafepress.com.

5. Wrap it in Binary

Yep, it’s what you think it is. Binary gift wrap. Now the question: is the gift or the paper better?

Image from techdigest.tv.

6. Twitter your Tree

Twitter is taking over. Now even our ornaments have hashtags.

Image from cafepress.com.

7. Laptop Ornament

You love your laptop. Why not hang one on your tree?

Image from christmasgiftnow.com.

8. Say it with hexadecimal color codes.

Anyone who knows their colors will get a kick out of this card.

Image from eatliver.com.

9. Avoid Confusion

The last thing you want is for Santa to be confused about which stocking is yours.

Image from whee.tv.

10. Binary Ornaments

Apparently wrapping paper isn’t the only thing that comes in binary code this Christmas.

Image from cafepress.com.

Not all students are as lucky as those earning their online college education. As a student at a traditional school, sometimes Christmas break is preceded by last-minute cramming for finals, term papers, group projects, presentations, and all kinds of stresses. However, as an online college student you get to set your own schedule, meaning you can plan ahead to make sure you have relaxing and happy holidays.

Online college courses often require papers and tests. But since there is no getting around them, why not schedule them for a time that is convenient for you, instead of working around a campus schedule? With online classes you can do just that. Plan ahead and turn in papers early and if you can, take exams before they are due.

Another benefit of online school is that you can take it wherever you are. Heading home for the holidays? Going on a cruise? Visiting friends across the country? No problem! Pack up your laptop and take school with you. If you don’t have time to plan ahead, need to turn in assignments over the holidays, or are required to participate in online forums over your vacation, you can do all that with online college and not worry about having to be back in town for your school schedule.

Here are the best ways to take advantage of online school over the holidays:

• Plan ahead so you don’t have to do homework.
• Take exams early if you can so your break can be stress-free.
• If you can’t get around taking a break from your classes, bring your laptop with you and take online school wherever you go.
• Stay in touch with your instructor so you don’t miss deadlines or important information.
• Work at your own pace. If you can’t stop school all together, at least change your schedule so you can slow down and enjoy Christmas!

Do you have an online college student on your Christmas list? Thinking about splurging on yourself this holiday season? Here’s our list of five must-have gifts for someone working to earn their online college education:

1. Laptop Bag - Every student enrolled in online courses uses a laptop. So why not get them a stylish and functional bag so they don’t break their back?

2.USB Drive - Online college courses consist of homework done on a computer. A USB drive will make transporting files and submitting homework a snap for your friend enrolled in online school.

3. iTunes Gift Card - Earning an online college education doesn’t have to be all work and no play. Give your friend an iTunes gift card and next time they need a study break they will be grateful for some great music!

4. Planner - An online college student can always use a planner to schedule tests and study groups, and to set goals and keep track of homework assignments.

5. Wireless Mouse - Why not get the online college student on your list a wireless mouse so they can take their classes on the road and work on homework no matter where they are?

Most students know that dorm pranks are as much a part of the college life as late-night studying and cramming for finals. But what if you are getting an online college education? Don’t worry, there are still plenty of entertaining and funny, yet harmless, pranks that will save you from textbook-induced boredom.

Photo courtesy of kryptyk on Flickr.

Try these easy jokes to spice up your online courses:

1. Microsoft Word Spell Check Gone Wrong
Lots of people have heard of this one, but have you actually tried it? Just go to tools, autocorrect options, check the box next to “replace text as you type” and then fill in the blanks. Then watch as your friend’s frustration grows as their name is replaced with an insult or no matter how hard they try they can’t seem to spell “online school” right.

2. Curse of the Side-Ways Screen
This is an easy one to pull off if you only have a few seconds. Next time your friend steps away from their computer, reach over and press Ctrl-Alt-up or down and the image on their screen will magically rotate. Your friend will have no idea what hit them.

3. Right Click and Left Click Confusion
Want to really mess with someone’s mind? Try changing the right and left click functions in the “mouse” section of the control panel. Watch your friend try to do their homework with a mouse that won’t work!

4. Always Busy
Watch your study buddy sit and wait for their computer while it’s “busy”…when all along you know it’s not. Just go to the control pannel and in the mouse section, change the pointer from an arrow to an hourglass and let the fun begin!

5. Broken Mouse
An oldie but a goodie. Put a piece of tape over the mouse’s laser sensor and watch your frustrated pal try to get their computer to work.