The last few years saw campuses across the world close their doors as students traded in their classrooms and lecture halls for their bedrooms. According to figures from The World Bank, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education in over 150 countries, affecting a student population of 1.6 billion.
This unprecedented shift in learning styles has become the new normal, prompting many students to consider online study as a viable way of advancing their education. In this article, we will look into some of the benefits of choosing to study online.
Convenience
Online study opens the doors for many different types of students to further their education as it offers the flexibility to work around a schedule that suits them. For students with work or family commitments, online study can provide the perfect solution allowing students to log in to lectures and complete their assignments in a way that does not interfere with their other duties or obligations.
By minimizing conflicts with other responsibilities, online study programs can allow for a healthier work-life balance, enabling students to graduate at their own pace and convenience.
Global Perspective
Students who decide to study virtually can gain more than an academic qualification especially when their chosen subject is internationally based. Online lectures and classes are likely to attract students from all over the world resulting in class communications that bring together diverse backgrounds and experiences.
This allows students to benefit from cross-cultural interactions with other students and teachers, helping them to develop an awareness of different nations and an understanding of the people that live there. This exposure also offers the added advantage of creating a network of colleagues from around the globe that can be leveraged in your future career.
Whether you are considering a masters online Singapore or a bachelor’s degree in France, choosing to study online can help you broaden your horizons by developing a different perspective without having to leave the comfort of your own home.
Affordability
For many students, the cost of higher education has become prohibitive, especially when it comes to studying abroad. According to research by the International Institute of Education, the average cost of studying in a foreign country is around $18,000 per semester, or $36,000 per full academic year.
Online study offers students the opportunity to gain credentials in the same subjects at a fraction of the price. Without the need to pay for accommodation on campus or transportation costs to and from lectures significant cost savings can be made. Additionally, the cost of study can often be paid for or subsidized by an employer if it aligns with an employee’s responsibilities at work.
Employability Skills
Online study will challenge students to develop certain skills such as time management if they are to succeed in passing their program. With a less structured routine compared to on-campus study, online courses require students to manage their own schedules and finish their assignments on time while being proactive in asking for help or support from faculty members, if required.
Better time management skills are beneficial in all aspects of life and are especially prized in the job market. Many times, professionals will choose to balance their jobs with online education. Being able to demonstrate your self-motivation to a future employer along with your ability to successfully navigate your work or family life while gaining a qualification will set you in good stead when it comes to your future career.
In addition to self-motivation and time management, virtual communication skills have also gained importance since the pandemic. As more businesses have begun working in virtual teams, studying through an online platform can help you develop the relatively new but necessary skills to be an effective leader and communicator in this environment. Communication through a virtual landscape differs from in-person communications and studying online can teach you skills such as active listening, clarity and conciseness, pitching ideas, as well as gesturing purposefully, all of which will be highly valued by an employer.
Digital Benefits
Studying through an online platform can enhance your digital literacy as you learn how to use different applications and familiarize yourself with new tools and software. Embracing technology and being well-versed online is another beneficial skill for your future career and is something an employer will appreciate.
Other benefits of studying digitally include the luxury of having all the course material recorded and easily accessible. This saves you the stress of having gaps in your knowledge or having to borrow someone’s notes to catch up on missed lectures. It also enables you to revisit areas you may not have understood initially by going over them again in your own time.
Having all of your resources available to you around the clock is also beneficial as each person has different working styles and some may prefer to work during unsociable hours when the college or library is closed.
Accessibility
Everyone should have the right to an education, unfortunately, for some would-be students, it is not that easy to access. This may be due to living conditions, such as those living in rural areas with limited transportation links or for those with added responsibilities such as childcare or work which prevents them from traveling to a college or university.
For such students, a remote learning option is ideal and will provide them with all the materials and resources they need to further their education, regardless of their location or ability to access their chosen place of learning.
No Need to Relocate
Whether it is for personal or practical reasons, deciding not to relocate no longer needs to prevent you from furthering your education. Staying where you are can allow you to keep your current job or look after your family while working towards advancing your career or simply developing your knowledge in a subject.
The advantage of online study is that it allows you to work from wherever you like, so for those who enjoy a change of scenery a digital-based course still enables you to work from a cafe, co-working space or even a different country.
As this article has highlighted, there are many benefits to studying online. Being aware of these can help you decide if this is a suitable way of studying for you.
Todd VanDuzer
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