Online college learning has definitely changed the way students learn and manage their time. It’s a great enabler, especially for working professionals who want to pursue further education during their spare time.
With online college learning, a person has options as to whether he or she wants to complete a college degree, pursue a Masters degree, or get additional certification for a specialized field.
The continued improvement in the reputation of online college learning has definitely fueled its expansion as more and more companies are employing students with online college degrees. Furthermore, studies have found that online college learning can be just as effective as traditional face-to-face education.
According to the latest stats, there are nearly 3 million students currently enrolled in fully online college programs and 6 million taking at least one online college course as part of their degree.
According to the latest stats, there are nearly 3 million students currently enrolled in fully online college programs (1) and 6 million taking at least one online college course as part of their degree (2).
Students, from working professionals to recent high school graduates, are definitely benefiting from online college learning. Over the coming years, more people are expected to pursue online college learning as a result of the advantages that this offers.
Here are the 9 awesome benefits of online college learning students should know:
9. A large variety of courses to choose from. A person can earn college course credits for almost any course available. Whether it’s algebra, English composition or even biology lab work, there’s a course a student can take online. Students can even study humanities, sociology, and business administration.
8. Multiple ways to communicate with professors. The great thing about online college classes vs. traditional college classes is the flexibility students have to communicate with professors. It’s not always convenient to see a college course instructor face to face, so between email, live chat, and telephone conversations, a student should have more opportunities to get feedback or have a great Q&A session with a college professor.
7. It doesn’t cost as much. Students can save hundreds of dollars to a degree online. The traditional costs associated with using classroom space and equipment don’t apply. As long as a student has the right hardware and software to log on and complete course assignments, as well as study the material, there are big savings that can be realized right away.
6. Better opportunities to concentrate. A student can choose anyplace that helps them learn the material to gain a greater understanding of the overall body of knowledge needed to earn a degree.
5. Customize learning environment. Whether at home, on the road, or at a friend’s house, a student can create their own perfect room to study class materials and do homework assignments. Students do not need to put up with disruptive environments like crowded libraries. Online college learning offers better opportunities to concentrate by not being around other people. A student can dedicate one room for quiet study, or if shy, don’t have to worry about interacting with other students.
4. It’s eco-friendly. In the debate of online college classes vs. traditional college courses, a student doesn’t have to commute to a college or university to take the courses needed to complete a degree. A person saves money gas and vehicle maintenance. Most importantly, earning an online college degree saves a person time that can be used to study and take exams in the comfort of their home.
3. Enjoy a flexible schedule. One of the great benefits of getting an online college degree is that a person can still work full time and manage time to earn a degree during off hours. If a person works non-traditional hours, they don’t have to lose sleep, arrange for childcare, or waste time commuting to physical classrooms.
2. Boost career advancement opportunities. If an advancing career is dictated by a person’s higher educational accomplishments, then take only the courses needed to get a promotion by upgrading knowledge and skills. This means no more waiting years to complete a traditional degree to get an opportunity to earn a promotion or a raise. Instead, the time a person invests could only be months in order to get an advancement.
1. College credits can be transferred. By carefully researching colleges and universities that a student is interested in earning a degree from, she or he can arrange credit transfer to get a degree. All the student has to do is contact the admissions office of the online colleges he or she is interested in and get a list of the online courses they’ll accept for credit transfer. That way, the student can earn a degree faster.
Thanks to our friends from straighterline.com for the list of benefits above.