Students plan to spend more online time studying, poll says

Students plan to spend more online time studying, poll says

A survey from StudyBlue, an online academic collaboration resource, found that college students plan on spending more than three hours a day online studying, which accounts for twice as much time as they plan to devote to other online activities, such as social networking.

That is why it has launched a new service to help connect students with classmates and peers around the country working on the same problems, studying the same topics, and using the same textbooks. Students can engage in activities such as taking or sharing notes online, creating flashcards and taking quizzes.

"Survey data supports that more and more students look to online resources to help them prepare for class and study smarter," says Becky Splitt, CEO of StudyBlue.

While innovative at traditional on-site institutions, distance collaboration methods have long been used by online colleges which cater mainly to adult learners who have returned to school to earn or finish their degree.

Ever more schools across the country offer all or part of their instruction online, and interested candidates are encouraged to explore opportunities that can help them launch a more lucrative career, as studies show earnings of college graduates consistently surpass those who do not have a college degree.