6 Benefits of Studying Online
There are plenty of benefits to distance learning, and it may be the perfect option for you! Whether you want to study from home part-time, learn around your existing commitments, or work towards a degree at your own pace, online studying can help you do this. Many institutions offer online versions of their courses, providing you with top-quality education right in your home. If you want to study something but aren't sure where to begin or whether it is for you, being an online student can give you the best of both worlds, letting you learn new skills on your own terms.
Location
One of the main benefits is that it can be accomplished from anywhere. Often, you are confined to educational institutions in your area or that you can travel to. This may mean that you cannot study exactly what you want to, as it is not offered locally, and traveling to a specific location may be incredibly expensive. With the internet, you can learn and study courses offered by institutions overseas and meet and work with people from all over the world right from the comfort of your own home.
You can set up an area of your home to work in, wherever suits you the best, and not have to worry about living far away from campus. This may involve a desk or table with plenty of space to prevent you from feeling cramped and distracted. A comfortable chair is also important to help your posture and prevent any aches and pains from sitting for too long. Good lighting will help keep your eyes healthy, and you could also consider some noise-canceling headphones to help you concentrate. Getting fresh air is also important, so if you can sit by a window, this could really help you focus.
By studying online, you can experience a wider range of subjects and teaching methods and learn a lot about others and the rest of the world. Not only will this give you great life skills, but it will also save money on travel and commutes, as well as costs involved in accommodation on and off campuses. If working from your home is not a viable option, the great thing about studying online is that you don't need to be confined to your home. Instead, you can take your online course in libraries, coffee shops, or other facilities with an internet connection and a good study environment. People work best in different environments, so it's important to work out how and where you work best. There may be certain technical requirements for your course, so take these into consideration when you are looking for a location. If you need to speak, it's no good sitting in a silent library! Similarly, listening to a lecture in a busy café may also not be the best idea! Do some research and see where others are working, as they may have some recommendations for you on the types of environments that work best for online study.
Course Options
Another one of the biggest benefits of distance learning is the sheer number of courses, subjects, and types of education that can be studied and gained. From short online courses to full Master's degrees, you can find something that suits you. You can even complete a MSW without a prior degree in social work, which is great if you want to further your education or change your career path. An MSW like this can open up whole new experiences and job opportunities for you that you may not have the chance to get access to otherwise. They combine virtual and in-person learning with placements to provide you with the best education and experience needed to complete your MSW. Furthermore, they offer plenty of financial support to help you, as well as options to waive the GRE test.
An MSW course is a brilliant way to build upon skills you already have from previous degrees. Whether you just want to expand your knowledge or change careers, studying online can allow you to pursue these dreams without having to put the rest of your life on hold to do so. They can work around your current job or schedule, allowing you to earn money and continue to live your life while also studying a degree you are passionate about.
Commute
Distance learning can mean that you have little or no commuting to do. Travel to and from classes can take up a lot of time and money that could be better spent elsewhere. By cutting out the commute, you have more time to study and enjoy your spare time, and you don't have to spend money on gas or public transport. What's more, you are reducing your impact on the environment by using less fuel every day. The average commute can also be unpredictable, with traffic or weather problems just a few of the things that can slow you down. Traveling can be pretty stressful as there are so many things that are out of your control, and being late or missing a bus can really put a dampener on your day. When you don't have to commute, you have more time to focus on yourself and your studies, as well as spending less money on tickets, parking, or gas.
Many people may not have access to transport or their own car and may feel cut off or like they cannot access the education because of the combination of location and commuting issues. By studying online, these problems can be overcome. Therefore, more people can access the education they want. As previously mentioned, the MSW course offers a mixture of in-person and online teaching, alongside placements, which will offer you the best combination of working from home and practical experience. Having the option to study from home, as well as in-person, saves you from having to travel frequently, and also means that you can meet with your peers and teachers in person on occasion, which can be greatly beneficial.
Resources
When you are learning online, it can be easier to have all the resources you need right in front of you. The internet gives you easy access to materials that you require during your course at the click of a button. It is also much easier to skim through webpages than it is to look through books, which means you will be able to complete work more efficiently. Many institutions can provide you with them for free or at a discount, so it is worth looking into this and any student discount offers you may be eligible for. Furthermore, when you access books or journals on the internet, it is usually instant, and you don't have to wait for delivery, which again improves efficiency. You also don't have to carry around heavy books and spend money on delivery costs. This makes it cheaper and easier to access the information you require whenever you need it.
Lectures and classes may also be recorded and put on the internet, allowing you to access them at any time. If you have missed a class or forgotten to note something down, or just need to go back over a topic, it is very helpful to have access to this. When recordings are available, there is less pressure to get everything right the first time, as you can go back over them at your own pace. This means that you can fully understand the content to the best of your ability, without worrying about missing something in a live class or making notes that don't make sense later on. Online resources can also be made more accessible through the use of captioning, transcription, or translation, which opens the content up to yet a wider audience.
Save Money
The main benefit of online study is that it can save you money in a whole variety of areas. Your commute, accommodation, tuition fees, resource materials, and even things such as food and drink can be hugely reduced when you learn from home. This is one of the main reasons why online studying is so popular and accessible. You don't have to worry about on-campus accommodation, or forgetting your lunch, as you are working from the comfort of your own home. Courses such as the MSW even offer financial support to students, allowing you to make the most out of the course. Furthermore, you may be eligible for a GRE test waiver on this MSW course, which can again save you money in an area you may not have considered.
The flexible nature of online learning also means that you can work and earn money alongside your studies, which you may not be able to do if you are studying full time in person. This is another reason why distance learning is so popular, as it allows you to continue with your job while you learn. Balancing working and learning is also a helpful skill to have, as multi-tasking is very important, as is learning to manage your time. This can work in your favor when applying for jobs, as time management is a soft skill that many employers look for in potential employees, and being able to manage multiple projects and events is a good indicator of this.
Pacing and Environment
The flexibility of an online course such as the MSW is hugely appealing. It means that you can continue with the rest of your life, making the course work for you. You may have a job, children, or a busy social calendar full of commitments, and by taking an online course, you can make all of these things work in harmony. Courses can often be studied full or part-time, with teaching happening live at set times or whenever you want to access it. The flexible nature of distance learning is ideal for busy, modern-day students of any age and ability.
Something that may put potential students off pursuing education is the learning environment that they expect to be in. Not everyone works well in lecture theatres or classroom settings, and this can impact the learning experience. By studying a course like an MSW, you can be comfortable in a familiar setting and take breaks when you need to. This is incredibly important for physical and emotional health and will make the experience more enjoyable. It will also teach you the importance of focus and self-motivation, as it may feel easier to get distracted when you are not in a room full of other people. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to stay focused on your studies, and this ability to self-motivate is another sought after skill to put on your resume! The skills you learn while completing your course not only relate to the content itself but also all the personal skills you develop and strengthen as a student.
Overall, distance learning is hugely beneficial and is a wonderful way for education to reach a wider audience. There are many barriers preventing people from pursuing the education they deserve. Whether this is financial, accessibility, location, or even thinking you are not old or young enough to be a student, studying online helps to break down these barriers and let you follow your dreams. Working at your own pace in your own home can have a huge impact on how well you take in the information and can improve the enjoyment of the learning experience. Being able to continue with your life and job while studying is also very attractive, as many people need to continue earning money while learning, and online study means that you don't have to drop everything to do so.
The MSW is designed for professionals who are working and wish to learn alongside this, so it is made to work alongside you. Studying a course like this means that most of the other students will be in the same situation, and the tutors will have experience in helping people balance the two. Therefore, students can make the most of their education without it becoming overwhelming. While enrolling as a full-time student in person can be consuming and intense, these MSW online courses can help to alleviate some of the stress and costs of being a student while providing you with the same level of education and expertise.
