5 Reasons Why You Should Consider an Online Degree

University isn’t for everyone: You might have kids, you might need to work full time and study when you have the time or you might be a mature student considering a career change.

If you are looking for an alternative to the full-time student lifestyle – halls and all, you are not alone.

When I was at university, I may have only had 10 lectures a week, but they were spread across the day making it difficult to have another job or commitments. Tution fees have gone mad over the last few years, pushing millions of students into online learning. Although this mode of learning was initially seen as a fad, it is now so prevalent that is considered as the education model of the future.

Here are five reasons why it is a viable alternative to conventional education.

1. Affordability

Online programs are often cheaper than their traditional counterparts, and with good reason. Online schools have low administrative and infrastructure costs. After all, they don’t have to put up lecture halls or dorm rooms. These schools then pass the lower costs to their students in the form of lower tuition fees, but it does not end there.

You don’t have to travel long distances to attend classes, and you, therefore, save in fuel costs. In addition, course materials for online programs are usually available online for free or in a subsidised form.

2. Many Programs to Choose From

A few years ago, you could only study a limited number of courses online, and they were, for the most part, languages or humanities. Thus, you only chose e-learning if you wanted to study courses like history or literature. But all that has changed. Today, you can study almost anything from law to nursing, and from a diploma to a doctorate level. For instance, Northeastern University has a great online finance masters degree. Online finance degrees are now highly respected by a wide variety of institutions.

3. Flexibility

Perhaps the greatest attraction of e-learning is its flexible nature. First, online courses let you study at your own pace. In fact, when you browse for online courses, most will have a ‘self-paced’ option that you can choose. With this option, you set a study program that suits you.

4. Study in Comfort

Perhaps the greatest advantage of pursuing a degree online is the ability to study from the comfort of your home. No more sitting for hours on a hard lecture theatre seat after standing for even longer during your commute to school (usually with a hangover, because, yanno, student life!). No more fighting traffic or looking for parking slots. All you need to get started is a comfortable seat and an internet-enabled device.

5. Greater Interaction

Online students take part in class discussions and communicate with their tutors face-to-face, via video link. This differs from the traditional education system where you sit in a packed lecture theatre listening to your tutor. In this traditional setting, you only get one-on-one time with your tutor by making an appointment.

If your class has hundreds of students, you will be waiting a long time. Student interaction in online courses is not limited to what happens in class. You can join online student communities and forums. Some online institutions even demand that students meet every month or few weeks.

Looking for reasons why you should study an online degree? Look no further. An online degree is affordable and there is a wide of courses for you to choose from. Online programs are also flexible, and they allow you to study in comfort. Finally, they offer greater interaction with fellow students.