Online Education: Advantages and Disadvantages

Even though online education has frequently been discussed recently, it is still hard to find a balanced perspective. Some people praise online schooling and say that it presents the educational opportunity of the future, while others consider it to be a despicable facsimile of the traditional education system. If you’re attempting to make a decision on this issue, you might be confused, or even distressed.

Pros of Online Education

Convenience and Opportunityd

Originally, online schooling systems were developed to provide an opportunity to get education to the people who cannot take traditional programs. Any person can study online, regardless of the place he/she lives in, his/her schedule restrictions or physical abilities. All what is needed is a PC and internet connection.

Lower Costs

The costs are not always lower, but most often they are. Besides, the overall costs may drastically decrease if you study online if you live at home and don’t have to use public transport. You also have more opportunities to work and get some extra income.

Faster Completion

When you get to study online, you can choose a narrower degree option as well as reduce the number of the subjects that you do not need. Therefore, you can avoid wasting your time on unnecessary subjects and finish your degree quicker.

Cons of Online Education

Doesn’t Work for all Subjects

Some subjects can’t be taught online and require the actual communication among teachers and students. For instance, if you want to involve into the occupational or physical therapy, you will have to be physically present at your classes. Therefore, better study such subjects in a traditional setting.

Increased Personal Responsibility

If you are used to the structured schedules at school or work, you can become overwhelmed by the freedom of online schooling. Keep in mind that when you study online, you have to build your own schedule, manage it and stick to it by yourself. It requires the self-discipline skills not many people possess. Moreover, you will also need to monitor all the modifications and changes to your program by yourself, as you won’t be able to rely on administrators or teachers, as you would in a traditional education system.

Networking Challenges

If you study in a traditional setting, you create connections with your fellow students, professors and everyone else involved in the process. Upon graduation, when you need to find a job, you might need these relationships. In the online setting, it’s much harder to build these connections, since you almost never meet face to face with anyone from your online school. It creates more challenges to establishing your network.

Now when you know the objective pros and cons of online education, you may weigh them all for yourself and see if this way of getting education suits you or not.