You can’t predict what life is going to throw at you. As a result, we have to be prepared to
compromise, as the path that we would like to take the most might be temporarily
unavailable. That’s why increasingly more young people choose to pursue their university
degrees online rather than in a traditional way by physically attending classes.
This way, even those with a limited amount of time can get a tertiary education, which can
help immensely when trying to find a decent job. Below you will find both advantages and
disadvantages of online degrees, which you might find useful if you are considering enrolling
in an online university course.
Types of Online Degrees
While searching for the cheapest online PhD programs, you might get confused pretty
quickly, as the term “online degree” could actually mean a couple of different things.
First, there are universities that function exclusively online. If you enroll in an online course in
this type of institution, all of your classes will be conducted through the internet.
Second, some universities offer students the possibility of attending most of the classes
online, though if you choose this type of course, at times, you’ll have to visit your institution
as well.
Third, universities with primarily traditional courses have recently started offering programs
for students who would like to attend online classes only. It includes even some of the
“prestigious” universities, such as the University of Washington. Unless they ask you,
potential employers won’t know that you’ve been enrolled in an online course.
That’s why, if you have found an online course that attracts your attention, we recommend
double-checking what type it really is, or you might be surprised later on.
Reason Behind the Growing Popularity of Online Degrees
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the tempo of changes in the tertiary
education systems, the trends would be inexorable even without it. It doesn’t matter whether
you are old or young – we are used to the convenience that the technology provided us with.
However, in the context of university education, online courses are not just a matter of
convenience. Instead, huge numbers of young people who have to work part-time jobs, care
for their children, or parents don’t have to put their pursuit of tertiary education on hold.
That’s because they don’t have to waste time on the commute, making it possible to
combine attending online classes and working. Sure, the majority of universities offer grants
or try to help their students financially in other ways, e.g., by helping them find outside
institutions who would be willing to fund their degrees.
However, it isn’t possible in every single case. As a result, those young people will have to
spend a certain amount of hours each week in their job, which will make it harder for them to
focus on their studies. Still, in this situation, those students at least have a chance to get a
decent education. With traditional university courses as the only available option, many
students would have no such choice, as they wouldn’t have enough time to study and work
at the same time.
If you decide to enroll in a traditional university course, you would have to pay hefty sums for
your stay in a dorm. Usually, the cost of staying one year in a dorm is around $10,000. On
top of that, if you factor the tuition for online degrees, which doesn’t cost as much as if you
were to enroll in a traditional course, it is no wonder that more and more young people
choose the former option.
However, there is another aspect that we should consider. If you enroll in an online course
that is run by a regular brick and mortar university, your potential employers won’t even
know that you’ve attended classes online.
On the other hand, if you choose a university course that focuses solely on online teaching,
the situation will be different. The attitudes are shifting, especially that even though more and
more students enroll in online courses each year, some employers still prefer job candidates
with degrees from regular universities.
Conclusion
Technological progress transforms every part of our lives, and it is also true when it comes
to the education system. Even assuming that it could happen eventually, we are a long
distance from switching to online courses entirely, we can notice the emerging trends.
Online university courses are becoming more popular, as they allow students to broaden
their horizons and at the same time, have their jobs to finance their pursuit of knowledge. It’s
not a perfect solution, but it is certainly an option worth considering. There are more and
more university courses online, so you will undoubtedly find something that is right up your
alley!
Author Bio:
Robert – an avid reader with interests that include self-development, neuroscience, but also
cooking weird-looking but tasty meals. A fitness enthusiast who swears that he could do
push-ups all day if he wanted to, though it might be a lie.
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