As I’m writing this, I’m not at my home office or even at my favorite coffee shop, where using the Internet is tried and true. Instead, I’m in a guest bedroom at my in-laws’ home, where we’re staying for a bit on vacation. The wireless Internet works, but there’s an annoying glitch: I can receive but not send e-mails. I’ve already spent too much time trying to figure out what’s wrong.

That’s why I admire online learners. Technology can be frustrating and unpredictable. Online students must have the patience not to want to stomp on their laptop when they can’t get connected to their class discussion or are facing an assignment deadline and need to log onto the school website.

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Sun, sand, and surf… Who wants to miss glorious warm weather activities just to sit in a classroom all summer long? As it turns out, you don’t have to abandon fun in favor of academia. Even if studying is the last thing on your mind this summer, take a look at the top 10 reasons you should stay in school – online, of course.

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As we reported recently on CollegeSurfing.com, when some schools see military personnel, they see dollar signs. After all, what school wouldn’t want a piece of the more than $4 billion that colleges have already collected under the new GI Bill?

Not all schools are preying on service members, though. Many colleges and universities hold military students in high regard, tailoring online programs to their unique needs.

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I admit it, I’m one of those Walt Disney World addicts. But if you’re not, hear me out: The creativity that surrounds me when I visit the Orlando theme park energizes me, even helping me deal with the heat and crowds during a summer visit.

I’m not an artist or actor, but I find that the characters, shows and parades, nighttime spectaculars, design of the Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland, and beautiful interiors in Disney resorts reinvigorates my creative juices in my own professional work as a writer.

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