Why I enjoy online learning

I was one of the first members of Generation Y. I had my first computer when I was 4. I remember it very well. It was a Texas Instruments computer and it had game cartridges that plugged into the side of the keyboard like an 8-track (which I’ve actually never seen in real life). By the time I was 6 or 7, I was learning BASIC programming so I can make little squares of red and blue flash on the screen. I grew up with computers like so many people my age (late 20s to early 30s), and the fact that I can earn a degree by using this childhood “toy” makes my time spent on computers all the more worthwhile.

Online learning is exactly what it says: You learn online, using the internet. Hundreds of colleges nationwide have jumped on the online learning bandwagon and are offering individual courses as well as full degree programs through your home computer or laptop. There are a great number of advantages to online learning.

1. The ability to learn from anywhere! That’s right. If you have a computer in your living room, bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen, you can take a college or high school class. If you have a laptop the opportunities to learn from anywhere can get even better. As long as the laptop has a wireless connection or some sort of air-card, students can learn on the train, in the park or even in their favorite coffee shop. With many major cities adding citywide WiFi connections, the ability to log on and gain access to information for coursework leaves very little excuse for not being able to “attend class”.

2. No more rush-hour traffic or annoying commute to campus. No need to worry about a parking space or having all of your materials with you after you make a mad dash out of work to jump onto the highway only to get stuck in a traffic jam. While most online learning doesn’t require to to attend class online at certain day or time, you are required to log onto the student portal for a certain number of hours per week. There are still assignment and test deadlines, but if you wish to participate in your neighborhood’s bowling teams on Tuesday nights at 7:30, don’t let that get in the way of earning your degree. If you are a student who works second or third shift at your current place of employment, you are still able to fit your classwork into your schedule, not the other way around.

3. An online degree is worth just as much as an on-campus degree. I heard an argument the other day from someone that “prospective employers don’t consider online degrees as highly regarded as on-campus”, and that’s why they chose to get permission to leave work early, sit in traffic and still arrive to their class late 3 times per week. Upon graduating from an online degree program, students receive the exact same diploma as on-campus students. No where does it mention that it is an online degree because there is no difference. The way the materials are presented during the degree program may differ, but there are still class discussions and assignments as well as lectures and exams. So whether you’re “busting your rear” in a classroom or cuddled up on your couch in your PJ’s, you’re still earning the same degree.

I really could go on and on about why I enjoy online learning, but I think these few arguments are reason enough to consider enrolling in an online degree program.