I've got to thank studying online as a way to progress in my career. Nothing else was going to do it. The gym was useless in giving me inspiration, and for around the same cost my online criminal justice degree is far more rewarding.

Besides, there are plenty of ways to keep fit running around the beautiful riverside park than sweating it out in a noisy gym! Studying online is not just a practical solution to studying whilst working full-time, it's an inspiration to progress and build on your knowledge and skills.

My employer really could have contributed to the course fees but given that I want to change jobs maybe it was a good idea not to ask! Though now my online course is actually helping my work, my boss has noticed and I explained I was doing some online study at home. He was impressed and I think is starting to see the benefits of flexible learning, especially studying criminal justice online.

Basically, without a degree I can't progress in my job. It's ridiculous because I'm passionate about my work, about the criminal justice system, and about the whole sector modernising and becoming more efficient and beneficial to our citizens.

There are so many facets to the criminal justice system, and my course reflects the diverse range of perspectives and notions of criminology and criminal justice.

It's the convenience as well. There was no way I could pay for the travel to a conventional college, let alone taking the time off work. I've got bills to pay, a family to feed, and having to bear traffic delays and course timetables that couldn't fit around my other commitments didn't sound particularly enticing.

Flexible learning is a great idea, a practical and pragmatic philosophy; that it is an ideal solution for a variety of students from a range of professional backgrounds is proven in the increasing number of people that enrol for online study.

I definitely regard my willingness to learn more about the sector I work in as a reason why I find studying for my criminal justice degree online so worthwhile.

I'm motivated by my passion for learning. The ease of use of the Virtual Learning Environment - basically a clever phrase that describes the technology to bring the course together, the combined use of Internet, mobile communications and email - enables that keenness to learn to study at a faster rate than having to physically attend a conventional college.

I was concerned about the quality of the courses offered by the providers of education, but you can go online and find out reviews and feedback from the colleges that deliver distance-learning degrees via the web. There are some great choices for degrees in criminal justice.

Online studying improves my work improves, and in turn improves my e-learning, which improved my work in the first place! I just hope I don't take the convenience of studying for a criminal justice degree for granted!