What flying cars are to us now, the concept of online education was the same quite a few years back- a possible product of technology. Now the market of online education is expected to reach $336.98 billion by 2026. The e-learning institute in the US alone had been predicted to grow to $6.22 billion by 2022, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic only acted as a catalyst for the transition of education from traditional classrooms to online classes. With schools and colleges shutting down to curb down the spread of coronavirus, online education seems to be the only feasible option for students of all educational levels. So, let’s check out the four major benefits of online education.
- Flexible schedule
Students usually juggle their careers, college, personal commitments and part-time jobs throughout their academic life. No wonder most of you may end up hiring an online essay writer to meet urgent deadlines and score good grades hassle-free. The traditional education system requires you to stick to a fixed schedule. Thus, it often doesn’t let you focus on your priority tasks. The online education system, on the contrary, gives you the freedom to attend classes at your convenience. There’s no fixed schedule to follow as such.
Why is it important for students to have a flexible schedule?
- Relieves stress
- Lets you learn at your own pace
- Helps you attend to your responsibilities
- Provides you with enough time to complete the academic tasks
Class timings are set in traditional classroom settings. You are usually forced to work your schedule around your regular classes. With online classes, you get to study your favorite subject without having to skip your part-time jobs or any other personal tasks.
- Affordable option
In a survey of 2,128 students, almost 45% of them have a part-time job. That means one in seven students work full-time while they study. Working students usually look for affordable options when it comes to obtaining a degree from college. The cost of higher education has more than doubled since 1986. With this rising costs of college education, more and more students tend to opt for online education since the latter encompasses affordable options. Enrolling in an online college is a significant investment. However, it cuts down additional expenses such as transport, course material, tuition fees, etc.
Cost of online education vs. traditional classroom
- In traditional colleges or universities, you end up spending anything within $30,000-$50,000 just in tuition fees. However, the tuition fees for online education are within $100 to $400 per credit hour.
- Unlike traditional education, you needn’t have to worry about additional expenses like transportation or books in case of online education. Just pay the tuition costs and you are good to go!
- You can conduct online classes right from the comfort of your homes. Schools that offer online degree programs do not have vast swaths of property, buildings, or land to manage. They also don’t have thousands of personnel and support staff to pay each month. So, they charge cheaper tuition fees.
In a recent survey, almost 50% of students who completed a BA course had accumulated a debt of $32,000. Student debts are a common scenario in traditional classroom settings. Online education lets you eliminate the need to opt for student loans, thereby reducing the pressure of debts too.
- Networking opportunities
Networking in traditional college or school is not really a feasible option, especially for introverts. You may not feel comfortable in initiating conversations and that’s okay. Online education gives you the chance to network with peers throughout the world. You get to stay at home or rather in your comfort zone and connect with peers across the nations or even countries. Networking can introduce you to a wide variety of topics related to your subject area. Good networking can enhance your employability chances after graduation. Nearly 85% of students find jobs through networking.
Why is networking important?
- Helps you learn even the most complicated topics easily through examples and evidence shared by your peers
- Lets you stay updated with the updated trends in the industry you are interested in
- Encourages you to connect with the right people who can give you tips on future employment opportunities
Having a mentor is very important if you want to make it big in your field. Let’s say you find it hard to work on a specific research topic during your online classes. So, you can collaborate with other individuals who can help you complete your task without having to buy paper writers online.
- Technical skills
Traditional education is already overwhelming. From multiple assignments to urgent deadlines, there are different reasons why you may not be able to acquire any additional skills during your academic life. Online education gives you the chance to hone the technical skills that employers look for in candidates these days. The best part is that you can schedule your classes at your convenience. So, you will have enough time to master technical skills such as effective online communication or using a new software suite.
List of in-demand technical skills that you can hone:
- Programming languages
- Software proficiency
- Data analysis
- Technical writing
- Project management
Whether you study Biochemistry or English, it is crucial to hone quite a few basic technical skills to prosper in the future. You may get stuck in a time-crunch in the traditional education system. But, online education lets you work on any number of technical skills you want.
Wrapping Up,
Considering all the points as discussed above, it is quite evident that the future of education is digital learning. The COVID-19 pandemic has confined students of all ages to their homes and online education is the only way you can still continue your studies. Besides all the advantages, there is still one major disadvantage related to online education. Digital learning is limited to only the privileged kids or the ones who have access to smartphones. Governments should try making this system of education easily accessible by all, irrespective of their socio-economic background.
