The Pros and Cons of Earning Your Degree Online
Technology has made a huge difference in the way we learn today, and you can’t argue the fact that online education has revamped the education system as we knew it. It’s a classic case of the mountain going to Mohammed because Mohammed is limited by various constraints and cannot go to the mountain; thanks to the Internet and other related technology, you’re able to earn a degree from the comfort of your home and also balance it with your work and other commitments. There’s no doubting that online education is here to stay and grow, but before you go down this road, you need to be aware of both the pros and cons of earning your degree online.
On the plus side:
· You don’t have to take time off from your work or your life in general to enroll in a degree and complete it. This allows you to balance both work and study if you’re a professional or family and study if you have kids at home, without neglecting or putting one on hold in order to pursue the other.
· You don’t have to relocate to another place or even attend classes on a daily basis as you would when earning a traditional degree. This not only saves you time, but also money.
· You have a limited amount of flexibility of setting your own schedule because it is not as rigid as those that traditional students have to follow.
· Most online degrees are much cheaper than similar offerings by traditional colleges. Also, since your course material is sent over the Internet, you may not have to shell out money to buy expensive text books.
· If you put your mind to it and are willing to take extra classes and work harder, you can complete your degree in less than four years.
On the down side:
· Perhaps the biggest drawback of online education is that it is not valued on par with the degrees offered by traditional institutions. Employers may not consider you seriously when they know you’ve graduated from an online school.
· You must be very careful to ensure that your degree and school are accredited by the right agencies. If not, your degree is not worth the paper it is printed on.
· If you want to make the most of your online education and achieve success, you must be willing to work hard and set aside time in your busy schedule for your coursework and exams.
· You may not find it easy to cope with the lack of social and personal interaction with other students and your professors.
· Also, you will have to do most of the studying through your own efforts because your teachers and professors will be available for online discussions only at certain scheduled times.
· Balancing your education and work or a family could become stressful and drain your energy; so unless you’re organized, dedicated, and determined, you could end up failing or making mistakes in one or more of the many activities on your plate.
In spite of all its drawbacks, online education is still a good option for those who wish to continue working even as they earn a degree for professional or personal reasons.
By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Anna Miller, who writes on the topic of online degree . She welcomes your comments at her email id: anna.miller009@gmail.com
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