Why You Should Advance Your Online Degree?
Higher Education Articles November 8, 2012Have you considered the benefits of earning a degree online? Online learning will give you the flexibility to learn anytime that is convenient for you and in the comfort of your home. For instance, imagine what a blessing online education would be for a disabled student who will not need to make the painful commute to a physical campus.
There are certain things you need to do to stay motivated to complete your online degree and make relentless efforts by being organized and self-disciplined. Before you make the leap into online education be sure it suits your skills and attitude. In this article, I will show you eight ways that will make online learning work for you.
Find out Whether Online Education Fits
Online education may not be suitable for everyone. For instance, it might not suit a person who dislikes computers. However, over the years student’s interest in taking online courses has increased, with 20% of all students expected to learn online by 2014 (source: 2009 study by EduVentures).
Higher Participation for Online Students
You cannot be a backbencher in an online class. The online environment is an interactive one and technology allows greater interaction in an online class than in a lecture hall full of students. Such interaction could include working on documents with classmates and seeing each other on personal webcams.
Follow a Regular Time-table
The flexibility of an online education will lead to real risk, if students are not taking it seriously. Students need to be self-discipline and goal oriented because the work involved in an online degree is no less compared to those who takes it on campus. Students will spend around two to three hours on each online class due to preparation and studying. Thus, you may need to work nine hours a week for every three unit class.
Seek Help Whenever You Need It
Similar to a classroom setting, you may not understand an instructor explanation on a certain subject, so you’ll be able to connect with them directly via online message. For students who attend class on campus, it depends on the number of students in your class, but some campus carries several hundred students per class, so students will have to connect with professors on their off hours. Students who are not familiar with webcam or dislike using it then campus education will best suit them.
Make sure the School is Accredited
In the online medium, people can claim to be anything they are not. You need to do your research to ensure that you are not being drawn into an online scam of some sort. Before you make the decision to join an online degree program make sure it is accredited, which will give you a sense of reassurance that you are dealing with genuine instructors who are responsible for your success and maintain high quality education. Moreover, employers are unlikely to give you a job based on an unaccredited degree.
Online Education has the Same Level of Difficulty as Campus Education
Online education has more flexibility than traditional education, but it is as difficult, with students going through the same curriculum process. Don’t expect it to be less academically rigorous compared to traditional education.
Don’t Procrastinate
It is human nature to procrastinate and online education puts us into this habit, if we are not discipline. It is common for students who take courses online to say “I’ll finish this assignment at a later date,” but this goes back to those who are self-discipline should take classes online and those who are not discipline should continue to take courses at their local campus or consider online education at a later date.
Make Technology Your Friend
While you don’t necessarily need to be tech-savvy to enjoy the benefits of online education, you definitely need to be tech-friendly. Fortunately, many reputable providers of online education use distance learning software that are user friendly and easy to navigate, but you need to make further efforts in familiarizing yourself with the tools then it will become a breeze over time.
