WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ONLINE EDUCATION

Going back to school is a tough decision. It’s expensive and takes a lot of time. It’s also intimidating – but it’s so rewarding. You’ve always wanted that education, that degree hung on your wall. The satisfaction that you did it.

Maybe you’re still choosing between traditional or online schooling. Either route you take, you’re on the right track. In this article, we’ll cover some of the benefits of an online education specifically. This information will help lead you to whatever decision is right for you.

It’s Convenient

One of the main benefits that brings people to online education is the sheer convenience of it. When pursuing further education, some of the main struggles students deal with are:

• Working your class schedule around work schedules, or vice versa


• Finding a program that’s available in your location


• Travelling to and from classes


• Finding the time to attend class around family responsibilities and personal obligations

Online education eliminates all of these common issues. Sure, schooling of any kind will take a lot of your time. But instead of finding the time to travel to the physical location of your class, spending a few hours in class, and then traveling back to your home or work, you’re simply scheduling a few uninterrupted hours from your couch or kitchen table — whenever it works best for you. But the advantages of online learning go far beyond convenience.

It Provides the Freedom to Gain Work Experience

With online schooling, you can keep working in your profession and won’t have to deal with the stress of clashing schedules. When I was going to school and working, I was always forced to request a different shift than I had been given in order to accommodate classes. Or I was missing out on the classes I really wanted to take because they were only available during regular working hours.

Since online education provides the freedom to be able to work while you pursue your degree, you’re eliminating one common issue students struggle with: lacking work experience after graduation when they’re trying to enter the workforce. Some people say experience can be more beneficial to getting a job offer than education. I think we need a balance of both to be successful. It’s unfortunate that traditional schooling doesn’t provide this flexibility quite like online options do. But that’s just one of the many benefits of online education.

It’s Affordable

Tuition fees for online education can be considerably cheaper than attending a traditional brick and mortar establishment. You will also save money on a few things that might seem miniscule but will add up considerably over the course of a few years in college. Here are a few of the ways you’ll save:

• Transportation: No more driving back and forth or paying for parking


• Housing: You don’t have to live on campus to attend online schooling, and you’ll have the ability to live in areas with cheaper rent, or continue living at home


• Food: No more spending on snacks in between classes or an expensive meal on campus


• Books: Online courses can sometimes offer digital books cheaper than the same book in print

It’s Just as Good as a Traditional Education

Don’t let the stigmatization of online education deter you from pursuing your dreams. An education is an education, and while there are many benefits to attending classes in a traditional setting, it isn’t the right choice for everyone. As online education becomes more common, the stigma slowly dies, and the learning systems will keep getting better as our technology and tools become more advanced.

Even now, we have the amazing ability to offer simulation learning for jobs like nursing. When entering a field that can be as unpredictable as nursing, students need a way to develop crucial skills before they’re faced with an emergency. This branch of online education can look like a video game, computer program, or computerized mannequin.

If you want to go back to school and earn your degree, but you can’t leave the workforce or you have a family and other obligations to uphold, an online education might be the best idea for you.