Self-Paced Online Computer Science Degrees

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Key Take­aways:

  • Self-paced online com­put­er sci­ence degrees allow stu­dents to learn at their own pace and bal­ance school with oth­er com­mit­ments, mak­ing them ide­al for new high school grad­u­ates and work­ing pro­fes­sion­als seek­ing to improve their skills.
  • Jobs in com­put­er sci­ence are expect­ed to grow by 23% through 2032, with roles such as Com­put­er Sci­en­tist, Infor­ma­tion Secu­ri­ty Ana­lyst, and Soft­ware Devel­op­er offer­ing salaries rang­ing from $99,620 to $145,000 annually.
  • Self-paced pro­grams pro­vide flex­i­bil­i­ty in sched­ul­ing, allow­ing stu­dents to study when it suits them best, which is par­tic­u­lar­ly ben­e­fi­cial for those bal­anc­ing work, fam­i­ly, or oth­er responsibilities.
  • Online self-paced pro­grams offer robust sup­port resources includ­ing online learn­ing plat­forms, instruc­tor sup­port, peer inter­ac­tion, tech­ni­cal sup­port, aca­d­e­m­ic advis­ing, library resources, writ­ing and tutor­ing ser­vices, career ser­vices, and men­tal health resources.
  • West­ern Gov­er­nors Union and South­ern New Hamp­shire Uni­ver­si­ty offer top self-paced online com­put­er sci­ence degrees.

Imag­ine a world where you con­trol how and when you learn. Self-paced online com­put­er sci­ence degrees offer just that. You go at your own pace, get help from experts in the field, and earn indus­try-rec­og­nized certifications.

This route is per­fect for new high school grads or pro­fes­sion­als look­ing to improve their skills. Self-paced learn­ing is your key to numer­ous careers in today’s dig­i­tal world. The main secret to suc­cess is find­ing the best online com­put­er sci­ence pro­gram. You’ll want one that pro­vides you with a superb edu­ca­tion. How­ev­er, it should also let you bal­ance school with your oth­er commitments.

Do you want to jump into the fast-grow­ing world of com­put­er sci­ence? Now is the time. Jobs in this field are expect­ed to boom by 23% through 2032, accord­ing to the Bureau of Labor Sta­tis­tics. This is your chance to start a jour­ney where you learn at your own speed. You can become skilled in jobs like Com­put­er Sci­en­tist, Infor­ma­tion Secu­ri­ty Ana­lyst, or Soft­ware Devel­op­er. These roles can pay between $99,620 and $145,000 a year. 

This post will take a look at self-paced online com­put­er sci­ence degrees. We’ll exam­ine how to save time and mon­ey with such a pro­gram. We’ll also share tips for stay­ing moti­vat­ed and han­dling chal­lenges while learn­ing on your own. This life-chang­ing edu­ca­tion­al path will arm you with the knowl­edge and skills to influ­ence the tech future. So, are you ready to begin an adven­ture to a more promis­ing career in com­put­er science?

Relat­ed:

The Growing Popularity of Online Education

There’s a big demand for remote degree pro­grams now. They give stu­dents the chance to study from any­where. Since the pan­dem­ic, we’ve seen just how valu­able online learn­ing can be. Tech­nol­o­gy is improv­ing, and peo­ple need flex­i­ble ways to attend school.

Pro­grams that let you earn a com­put­er sci­ence degree online are espe­cial­ly pop­u­lar. These online degrees let you take class­es when it’s con­ve­nient. This is great for those who work or have families.

Relat­ed:

Understanding Self-Paced Learning

In today’s fast-paced online learn­ing land­scape, self-paced learn­ing is chang­ing the game for com­put­er sci­ence stu­dents. These pro­grams give unmatched flex­i­bil­i­ty, let­ting stu­dents steer their own learn­ing jour­ney. You can eas­i­ly bal­ance stud­ies with oth­er life activities.

You don’t have to fol­low a set class sched­ule, which is per­fect for any­one with a busy life. Learn­ing this way lets you focus more on what’s hard and move quick­ly through what you know. There’s a huge need for com­put­er sci­ence experts. Self-paced pro­grams make it eas­i­er than ever to get into tech jobs. And they’re a great way to learn essen­tial skills quick­ly and inexpensively.

How Do Self-Paced Courses Differ From Traditional Online Courses?

Tra­di­tion­al online cours­es are called syn­chro­nous cours­es. They have set start and end dates with fixed assign­ments and exams. In syn­chro­nous pro­grams, stu­dents attend class­es online togeth­er at the same time.

Self-paced pro­grams are asyn­chro­nous, and they offer you more lib­er­ty. You can log into your learn­ing plat­form when­ev­er you want. And as long as you have an inter­net con­nec­tion, you can com­plete your assign­ments from any­where in the world. You can spend more time on tough top­ics. And you can breeze through areas you have already mas­tered. This allows you to tai­lor your sched­ule to fit your life.

Key Take­away: Online com­put­er sci­ence pro­grams are deliv­ered via syn­chro­nous or asyn­chro­nous class­es. Asyn­chro­nous class­es are self-paced and allow for flex­i­ble sched­ul­ing. They also offer poten­tial­ly accel­er­at­ed grad­u­a­tion paths. So, they are an attrac­tive option for stu­dents who val­ue con­ve­nience and the abil­i­ty to learn from anywhere.

Benefits of Self-Paced Online Computer Science Degrees

Online com­put­er sci­ence degrees you can do at your pace have many perks. They are key in our busy mod­ern lives, where we all have so much to do. Here are some of the benefits.

Flexibility in Scheduling

One big plus of learn­ing at your pace is choos­ing your study times. If you’re a morn­ing per­son or you work bet­ter at night, it does­n’t mat­ter. You can match your study hours with when you’re most alert. This way, you can keep your life in bal­ance. Flex­i­ble com­put­er sci­ence pro­grams give you the free­dom to earn a degree with­out giv­ing up oth­er parts of your life.

Ability to Work

Learn­ing at your pace online also lets you bal­ance work and school. Many stu­dents need to con­tin­ue work­ing while they attend col­lege. With self-paced pro­grams, you can keep your job, which is excel­lent for your finances. Plus, you get work expe­ri­ence as you study. This can be essen­tial in fields like com­put­er science. 

Personalized Learning Experience

Online degree pro­grams that let you learn quick­ly are all about you. You get to pick what you want to focus on more. This helps you go deep­er into the stuff you find inter­est­ing. It also allows you to move faster through things you’ve already got down. Per­son­al­iz­ing your stud­ies means you get bet­ter at what mat­ters for your career. Self-paced learn­ing lets you own your edu­ca­tion for a more effec­tive learn­ing journey.

Cost-Effectiveness

Study­ing com­put­er sci­ence online can save you mon­ey com­pared to on-cam­pus options. You cut costs on things like rent and trans­porta­tion. Also, self-paced cours­es can be more afford­able. With cred­it trans­fers and work expe­ri­ence, you can save even more.

Earn­ing a self-paced online com­put­er sci­ence degree means enjoy­ing all these pros. Plus, you get a com­pre­hen­sive edu­ca­tion, which is vital to suc­cess in the thriv­ing com­put­er sci­ence field.

Resources in Online Self-Paced Programs

Many peo­ple assume that self-paced learn­ing means less sup­port. But that’s not the case at all. In fact, online asyn­chro­nous degree pro­grams offer a vast amount of resources. Col­leges want remote stu­dents to suc­ceed in their stud­ies. So even though you’re learn­ing by your­self, help is always avail­able. Here are some of the types of resources and sup­port you can expect:

Online learn­ing plat­form: You’ll have access to a user-friend­ly online learn­ing man­age­ment sys­tem (LMS). This is where you will access your course mate­ri­als and sub­mit your assign­ments. You will also use the LMS to par­tic­i­pate in dis­cus­sions and com­mu­ni­cate with your instruc­tors and classmates.

Engag­ing course con­tent: Cours­es are designed to be inter­ac­tive and engag­ing. They typ­i­cal­ly include a mix of read­ings, videos, pod­casts, and oth­er mul­ti­me­dia content.

Instruc­tor sup­port: Your instruc­tors are avail­able to answer ques­tions and pro­vide feed­back on your work. You can typ­i­cal­ly reach them via email, dis­cus­sion forums, or vir­tu­al office hours.

Peer inter­ac­tion: Despite being asyn­chro­nous, most pro­grams encour­age peer inter­ac­tion through dis­cus­sion forums, group projects, and oth­er activ­i­ties. This allows you to col­lab­o­rate with and learn from your classmates.

Tech­ni­cal sup­port: Occa­sion­al­ly, tech­ni­cal issues with the online learn­ing plat­form may occur. How­ev­er, most schools fea­ture 24/7 assis­tance from their tech­ni­cal sup­port team.

Aca­d­e­m­ic advis­ing: You’ll usu­al­ly have a coach or ded­i­cat­ed aca­d­e­m­ic advi­sor from the start of your pro­gram. They help you plan your sched­ule, select cours­es, and stay on track towards graduation.

Library resources: As an online stu­dent, you can access the school’s dig­i­tal library resources. These include e‑books, aca­d­e­m­ic jour­nals, and research databases.

Writ­ing and tutor­ing ser­vices: Many schools offer free writ­ing sup­port and tutor­ing ser­vices. These can be accessed online to help you improve your aca­d­e­m­ic skills.

Career ser­vices: Some pro­grams offer online career resources. These can include job boards, resume reviews, and career coun­sel­ing. They can help you pre­pare for your career after graduation.

Dis­abil­i­ty ser­vices: Do you have a dis­abil­i­ty? You can expect to receive appro­pri­ate accom­mo­da­tions and sup­port to ensure equal access to your online education.

Men­tal Health Resources: Online stu­dents expe­ri­ence stress just like those on cam­pus. Many schools now offer remote coun­sel­ing to help stu­dents man­age their men­tal wellness.

These are just some of the sup­port ser­vices you can expect from an online asyn­chro­nous degree pro­gram. The spe­cif­ic resources offered may vary by school and pro­gram. Be sure to check with your prospec­tive schools to learn more about what they offer online students.

Course Structure of Self-Paced Degree Programs

Self-paced degree pro­grams have their own unique course struc­ture. This is what allows stu­dents to progress through their course­work at their own pace. Typ­i­cal­ly, these pro­grams do no fol­low the tra­di­tion­al semes­ter or term sched­ule. Here’s what you can expect:

Course Layout

Each course is typ­i­cal­ly divid­ed into a series of mod­ules or units. Each mod­ule focus­es on a spe­cif­ic top­ic or set of learn­ing objec­tives. The mod­ules may include read­ings, videos, inter­ac­tive activ­i­ties, quizzes, and assignments.

Course Sequence

Online com­put­er sci­ence pro­grams struc­ture their cours­es in dif­fer­ent ways. Some pro­grams have a rec­om­mend­ed or required sequence of cours­es. This is to ensure that you build knowl­edge and skills in a log­i­cal pro­gres­sion. In these pro­grams, you may focus on one area at a time, mas­ter­ing each con­cept before mov­ing on to the next.

Oth­er pro­grams offer more flex­i­bil­i­ty, allow­ing you to take cours­es in any order as long as you com­plete all the required cours­es for your degree. This approach lets you cus­tomize your learn­ing expe­ri­ence based on your inter­ests and goals.

Deadlines

While you have flex­i­bil­i­ty in pac­ing, there are usu­al­ly some dead­lines to keep in mind. Many self-paced pro­grams have a max­i­mum time lim­it for com­plet­ing each course. This could be any­where between six months and a year. There may also be dead­lines for spe­cif­ic assign­ments or exams with­in each course.

Assessments

Each course will include var­i­ous assess­ments to mea­sure your under­stand­ing of the mate­r­i­al. These could include quizzes, exams, or oth­er types of assess­ments. You usu­al­ly sub­mit these assess­ments online through the learn­ing man­age­ment system.

Proc­tored exams are anoth­er com­mon fea­ture of these pro­grams. There are two main types of proc­tor­ing: in-per­son and online. In-per­son proc­tor­ing requires you to take the exam at a phys­i­cal loca­tion, such as a test­ing cen­ter. Online proc­tor­ing allows you to take the exam from home using soft­ware that mon­i­tors your activity.

Instructor Interaction

In self-paced pro­grams, you may have less direct inter­ac­tion with fac­ul­ty com­pared to a tra­di­tion­al class­room set­ting. How­ev­er, instruc­tors are still avail­able to answer ques­tions, pro­vide feed­back, and offer sup­port as need­ed. Inter­ac­tion typ­i­cal­ly occurs through email, dis­cus­sion forums, or sched­uled online office hours.

Graduation Requirements

You’ll need to com­plete all the required cours­es to earn your degree. You must also meet oth­er grad­u­a­tion require­ments, such as a min­i­mum GPA or a cap­stone project. You will earn the same diplo­ma as you would on cam­pus. In most cas­es, you will be invit­ed to par­tic­i­pate in the grad­u­a­tion cer­e­mo­ny in per­son if you wish. 

The exact course struc­ture can vary between dif­fer­ent self-paced pro­grams and schools, so it’s impor­tant to research the spe­cif­ic pro­gram you’re inter­est­ed in to under­stand its unique require­ments and features.

Key Take­away: Self-paced pro­grams in com­put­er sci­ence put you in charge of your edu­ca­tion. They offer a mix of flex­i­ble learn­ing, lots of sup­port, and a stress-free way to test your knowl­edge. This is a great way to reach your goals in the tech world.

Colleges Offering Self-Paced Online Computer Science Degrees

Look­ing into online com­put­er sci­ence degrees? You’ve got some great options from top insti­tu­tions. These pro­grams let you go at your own pace. They’re per­fect for fit­ting your stud­ies around oth­er parts of your life.

Western Governors University

West­ern Gov­er­nors Uni­ver­si­ty (WGU) offers an online Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence in Com­put­er Sci­ence. Its designed to pro­vide stu­dents with the essen­tial skills need­ed for a career in com­put­er science. 

This is one of the most flex­i­ble online com­put­er sci­ence degrees avail­able. At WGU, you will work with a pro­gram men­tor to design a course of study tai­lored to your needs. So you can work on your stud­ies around your oth­er commitments.

There are 38 cours­es in all. And you can move through them as fast as you can mas­ter the mate­r­i­al. The school charges per six-month term rather than per cred­it. This means you can poten­tial­ly grad­u­ate soon­er and pay less tuition over­all. Here are just a few of the areas you will study:

  • Data Struc­tures and Algorithms
  • Soft­ware Engineering
  • Oper­at­ing Systems
  • Web Devel­op­ment
  • Net­work and Security
  • Data­base Management
  • Arti­fi­cial Intelligence
  • Com­put­er Architecture

Southern New Hampshire University 

South­ern New Hamp­shire Uni­ver­si­ty (SNHU) fea­tures an online com­put­er sci­ence BS with four con­cen­tra­tions. These include:

  • Data Analy­sis
  • Project Man­age­ment for STEM
  • Infor­ma­tion Security
  • Soft­ware Engineering

The pro­gram is aligned with indus­try stan­dards and accred­it­ed by NECHE. Stu­dents will learn Python, Java, and C++. They can also study full-stack devel­op­ment and cloud inte­gra­tion using JavaScript, NoSQL, and Ama­zon Web Ser­vices (AWS).

There are no set class times in this pro­gram. You go at your own pace and can access the course mate­ri­als 24/7. And you can choose between full-time (2 cours­es) or part-time (1 course) each term. Terms are eight weeks long. 

This 120-cred­it pro­gram is also inex­pen­sive at just $330 per cred­it. Plus, you can trans­fer in up to 90 cred­its. Finan­cial aid is also avail­able to help you off­set the cost of your online degree. 

Oregon State University

Ore­gon State Uni­ver­si­ty offers a B.S. in Com­put­er Sci­ence online. This 180-cred­it pro­gram fea­tures two degree options. Stu­dents can focus on either applied com­put­er sci­ence or cybersecurity.

There are four start terms per year. And you’ll be taught by fac­ul­ty with real-world exper­tise in the field. You also will have plen­ty of oppor­tu­ni­ties to net­work with indus­try pro­fes­sion­als to build your career port­fo­lio. Some of the course top­ics include:

  • Pro­gram­ming fundamentals
  • Data­bas­es
  • Mobile and web development
  • Soft­ware engineering
  • Com­put­er sys­tems and networking
  • Net­work security
  • Cryp­tog­ra­phy
  • Com­put­er forensics
  • The­o­ry of computation
  • Oper­at­ing systems
  • Social and eth­i­cal issues in com­put­er science

Online cours­es are asyn­chro­nous, so there are no sched­uled class meet­ing times. There are spe­cif­ic due dates, but you can access the course con­tent when­ev­er it is con­ve­nient. OSU Ecam­pus stu­dents have access to a full range of resources. These include suc­cess coach­ing, library ser­vices, online tutor­ing, and more. 

Tuition for the online Com­put­er Sci­ence BS at OSU is just $428 per cred­it. And the cost is the same for non-res­i­dent students. 

How to Choose the Right Self-Paced Online Computer Science Program

Find­ing the right self-paced online com­put­er sci­ence degree pro­gram is vital for your career future. The demand for tech pros is high, espe­cial­ly in areas like data sci­ence and cyber­se­cu­ri­ty. So, pick­ing a pro­gram that fits your goals and offers the need­ed skills for suc­cess is paramount.

Each school offers some­thing a lit­tle dif­fer­ent. Some are more focused on things like arti­fi­cial intel­li­gence and pro­gram­ming lan­guages. Oth­ers are big on indus­try cer­ti­fi­ca­tions. You’ll want to be sure that you find a school that offers what you are look­ing for. That should not be dif­fi­cult, as there are count­less online com­put­er sci­ence bach­e­lor’s degree pro­grams. Here are some of the things to consider:

Accred­i­ta­tion and Rep­u­ta­tion of the Institution

First, look into pro­grams that are accred­it­ed. This means the school meets high aca­d­e­m­ic stan­dards and your degree will be respect­ed. Aim for those accred­it­ed by big bod­ies like ABET or region­al accreditors.

The school’s rep­u­ta­tion is cru­cial, too. Check out col­lege rank­ings to

deter­mine the qual­i­ty of the cur­ricu­lum and teach­ing. You should also look for schools with good indus­try ties and strong alum­ni net­works, which can help you find a career after graduation.

Cur­ricu­lum and Spe­cial­iza­tions Offered

Check out the pro­gram’s cur­ricu­lum to be sure the cours­es inter­est you. You will notice the cours­es can vary wide­ly across dif­fer­ent pro­grams. Also, look for chances to spe­cial­ize, which can make you more marketable. 

Stu­dent Sup­port Services

Online stu­dents need sol­id sup­port ser­vices. Aim for pro­grams offer­ing help with things like aca­d­e­m­ic advice or career prep. Be sure you get the most bang for your buck with tech sup­port, tutor­ing, and coaching. 

Cost and Finan­cial Aid Options

Costs can vary a lot between schools. Pub­lic schools tend to be cheap­er for in-state stu­dents than pri­vate ones. How­ev­er, some online col­leges charge the same rates no mat­ter where you live. Don’t for­get to look into finan­cial aid options to make your edu­ca­tion more affordable.

Tech­ni­cal Require­ments and Accessibility

Make sure you have the tech you need for online learn­ing, like a good com­put­er and inter­net. Plat­forms should be easy to use, includ­ing on mobile, and give you the resources you need. Be ready for any addi­tion­al soft­ware or hard­ware requirements.

Key Take­away: By weigh­ing fac­tors like pro­gram rep­u­ta­tion, cur­ricu­lum, sup­port, cost, and tech needs, you can pick a self-paced pro­gram that’s right for you. This approach will set you up well in the excit­ing field of com­put­er science.

Potential Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Self-paced pro­grams can be an excel­lent option for stu­dents who need max­i­mum flex­i­bil­i­ty in their stud­ies. They are ide­al for work­ing pro­fes­sion­als or those with fam­i­ly oblig­a­tions. But, there are also chal­lenges unique to this for­mat. You can make things eas­i­er by rec­og­niz­ing these hur­dles and using smart solutions.

Common Obstacles in Self-Paced Learning

The biggest issue? Self-paced learn­ing often lacks a clear path and some­one check­ing on you. With­out class­mates in a reg­u­lar set­ting, you might slack off. This free­dom can also lead to feel­ing alone and apart from others.

Keep­ing your­self going is also a chal­lenge in this set­up. You must set your goals, plan your time, and focus alone. This gets even more com­plex when you have a job or fam­i­ly to look after.

Then, there’s the chance of tech prob­lems. Slow inter­net or soft­ware that won’t coop­er­ate can derail your plans and set you back.

Solutions and Strategies to Stay on Track

To meet these chal­lenges, try out these approaches:

  • Cre­ate a spe­cif­ic study rou­tine and stay true to it. Assign dead­lines for your tasks and divide big projects into bite-sized bits.
  • Lean­ing on friends, fam­i­ly, or oth­er stu­dents for sup­port can help a lot. Online groups or forums can keep you from feel­ing like you’re on your own.
  • Build­ing self-moti­va­tion is cru­cial. Set clear tar­gets, cel­e­brate the wins, and keep a pos­i­tive atti­tude throughout.
  • Hav­ing the right tech and resources is crit­i­cal. Know your learn­ing tools well, and don’t hes­i­tate to ask for help with any tech issues.
  • Make the most of the flex­i­bil­i­ty self-paced learn­ing offers. Fit your learn­ing hours around what works best for you, whether morn­ings or weekends.
  • Time man­age­ment is crit­i­cal and makes study­ing eas­i­er. Use tools like plan­ners and apps to orga­nize your time.

You can flour­ish in a self-paced online com­put­er sci­ence course by proac­tive­ly fac­ing pos­si­ble issues. Always remem­ber that keep­ing your moti­va­tion, focus, and con­nec­tions strong is the real suc­cess formula.

The Future of Self-Paced Online Education in Computer Science

The world is fast-for­ward­ing into dig­i­tal change. And the need for online com­put­er sci­ence degrees is going through the roof. Remote learn­ing stands out as peo­ple look to learn more or switch jobs. And the future of self-paced online edu­ca­tion in com­put­er sci­ence looks bright! 

One of the biggest trends in online com­put­er sci­ence edu­ca­tion is the use of inter­ac­tive learn­ing tools. These tools allow stu­dents to prac­tice cod­ing, build projects, and get hands-on expe­ri­ence with the con­cepts they’re learn­ing. This makes learn­ing more engag­ing and helps stu­dents retain what they’ve learned.

Anoth­er trend is using arti­fi­cial intel­li­gence (AI) and machine learn­ing to per­son­al­ize the learn­ing expe­ri­ence. By ana­lyz­ing data on how stu­dents learn and what they strug­gle with, online learn­ing plat­forms can adapt to each stu­den­t’s unique needs and pro­vide tar­get­ed support.

Experts pre­dict that the demand for online com­put­er sci­ence edu­ca­tion will con­tin­ue to grow in the com­ing years. As more com­pa­nies rely on tech­nol­o­gy to stay com­pet­i­tive, they’ll need skilled com­put­er sci­ence pro­fes­sion­als to devel­op and main­tain their sys­tems. Online edu­ca­tion pro­vides a flex­i­ble and afford­able way for you to gain these in-demand skills.

Some emerg­ing tech­nolo­gies that could shape the future of online com­put­er sci­ence edu­ca­tion include:

  • Vir­tu­al and aug­ment­ed real­i­ty: These tech­nolo­gies could allow stu­dents to inter­act with com­put­er sci­ence con­cepts in immer­sive, 3D environments.
  • Blockchain: This tech­nol­o­gy could be used to secure­ly store and ver­i­fy edu­ca­tion­al records, mak­ing it eas­i­er for stu­dents to show­case their skills to poten­tial employers.
  • Quan­tum com­put­ing: As quan­tum com­put­ers become more pow­er­ful, online edu­ca­tion may need to adapt to teach stu­dents how to pro­gram and work with these advanced systems.

More and more peo­ple want online tech degrees. This push means schools and online plat­forms must keep up. Those that offer inno­v­a­tive, fun, and use­ful cours­es will do great. They will be invalu­able in train­ing future com­put­er sci­ence professionals.

Conclusion

We’ve seen many great things about self-paced online com­put­er sci­ence degrees. They let you learn while deal­ing with work and life. This kind of pro­gram gives you the skills you need for a job in the ever-chang­ing world of tech. You get to learn in a way that fits you best, mak­ing the most out of your studies.

If you’re con­sid­er­ing get­ting a com­put­er sci­ence degree online, this is a great time to start! For a suc­cess­ful online edu­ca­tion, pick a well-respect­ed school. Choose a pro­gram that aligns with your pro­fes­sion­al goals. And as you learn at your own pace, keep push­ing for­ward. Use all the help you can get, and don’t be afraid of the tough parts. With hard work, your degree will be a smart move for your career.