Is Online Education a Good Investment?
Online education was introduced in the 21st century as an alternative to the ordinary full-time study programs. According to USNews, the number of online students grows by 7.4% annually. Online education helps students combine learning with an internship, as well as save money and time. However, it is a new concept, and, thus, online graduates face challenges with their diplomas recognition. Moreover, the quality of online education differs from country to country and depends on technical support, lecturer’s knowledge, and students’ dedication to the process.
Today, we will discuss if online education is worth your time and effort.
Flexibility
First of all, online education is not tied geographically to an educational institution. It means that you can access a study portal from any place in the world with the help of the Internet. This is one of the ways online education saves your time. You can get a degree from a top-ranked university without having to travel to another country and staying there.
Furthermore, you can complete an internship and study at once. To be precise, an average internship lasts approximately 6 months, and if you manage to complete it during your studies, you will begin working half a year earlier than your peers. It is a significant competitive advantage in the labor market.
Moreover, you can combine remote studies with other activities, such as volunteering and traveling. Usually, students prefer to volunteer for two reasons: first, they have more employment chances than those who have no such experience; second, volunteering lets them stay in a destination of their dream mostly for free. For example, you can get an online degree while staying at the beach and working only 3-4 hours per day. Sounds good, doesn’t it?
Money Saving
Not being tied to a geographic place means that you can save a great deal of money. There is no need to obtain any special equipment, such as expensive books and uniform. Also, you can cut your expenditures on transportation.
You can also save money on accommodation as you stay at your own place. The point is that in some countries, the price of living is much higher than the cost of education. The majority of international students cannot afford it. With the help of online education, you can obtain said diplomas without paying a penny for house rent. One more important point is that you are exempt from visa fees and transportation costs!
Lack of Recognition
Unfortunately, online graduates still face problems getting a job. Getting an unrecognizable online degree can be one of the ways online education wastes your time. The root of this problem is that most of the employers are representatives of the previous generation (Generation X). Millennials experience an unsettling lack of understanding when explaining that an online degree carries the same value as a regular one. However, elderly employers tend to hire students with ordinary diplomas more.
Moreover, some universities do not accept students with online Bachelor diplomas for graduate studies. Thus, they need to prove their knowledge by passing special tests. It also requires a lot of time to examine the structure of such tests and get well-prepared. Considering this fact, you should be sure of your future plans if you are willing to apply for an online education program and check if it is acceptable for your future university or the place of employment.
Quality of online education
You should also consider that some universities are still pioneers in distance learning provision. Thus, some online platforms do have some disadvantages. For example, sometimes, it is hard to establish productive cooperation with a lecturer during the class. It happens because of technical difficulties or connection issues. Considering the fact that a lecture takes place in the form of dialogue between a professor and students, every viewer has the possibility to ask questions and answer them. It is tough to create an organized order of the discourse without interruption and another good option is Online class helpers as well.
Moreover, ordinary education helps students develop not only hard but also soft skills. Within the study period, students learn how to work in teams and cooperate with others. By doing group tasks, they become good mediators and facilitators. What is more, some of them also develop their leadership skills. Unfortunately, online education cannot provide such an experience. Thus, in order to get it, online learners should spend more time on socializing or attending special seminars on soft skills development.
Sometimes, students feel less motivated and become lazy when they study mostly at home. Not having to be physically present in the classroom and adhere to a certain schedule causes a feeling of insignificance and procrastination. However, they can rely on specialized essay writing services online which help students write a well-structured essay and understand the topic correctly.
Conclusion
To sum up, time management for online education is absolutely essential. You should keep in mind, though, that it’s up to you whether to choose online education or the classroom one. If you stick with the first option, you should bear in mind that you can save a lot of time and money because you won’t have to be physically present in a lecture hall. However, you will have to spend some time choosing a proper study program, passing tests, developing communication skills, and overcoming employment difficulties. Hence, online education can be attractive to individuals who have already obtained said skills and have a distinct perception of their future career.