Benefits of on-line learning

WHY DISTANCE LEARNING?

Perhaps you’re a stay at home mom who has no time to go to school, perhaps you’re a retired male who doesn’t feel as though the classroom atmosphere suits you, perhaps you’re a 20 year old who carries a full or part-time job and has no time to attend college. How can YOU obtain a degree without attending an actual classroom? Distance Learning. Distance Learning comes in several forms- everything from taking your class right on the computer with no schoolbooks to ordering schoolbooks, having them mailed to you, doing the work and mailing it to your professor.

It seems that Distance Learning is becoming more rampant these days; everyone from retired males and females, moms and dads to students right out of high school are choosing Distance Learning as their best route to a degree- Why?

Many people don’t have TIME to attend school; they’re so busy with their children or families that attending a classroom each day or once a week is nearly impossible. Or perhaps they have a full time job and don’t care to head to the classroom RIGHT after work- whatever the case may be, Distance Learning can be done right from your living room or your very own bedroom; most likely on a computer.

Some people detest the classroom! I know of many different students that have self esteem problems and would rather fail a class than have to get up and give an oral report- Distance Learning prevents this.

Distance Learning, however, is NOT for everyone- but how do you know if it’s for YOU? What are some of the skills that you must accelerate at in order to prove successful when taking Distance Learning?

The skill of organization! Organization is such a huge part of Distance Learning. You have no teacher or professor by your side to help you, it’s all on your own. You need to make sure you write down due dates in a place where YOU will see them- you have no professor to remind you when that 25 page term paper is due.

You have to be motivated and you need to WANT the degree. As I said, there is no professor to help you along on your journey. You may be assigned a tutor or professor that you can communicate with or e-mail for help, but it’s very different than attending a classroom and walking up to that professor for help and seeing them each and every day. You need to realize that you need to have a lot of motivation in order to succeed with Distance Learning- no one is there to help and push you along but YOURSELF.

The final words:
Distance Learning is a great form of schooling that can greatly benefit many of the people in the world who are yearning for a college degree; Distance Learning, however, is not for everyone- if you decide to take the plunge and try it make sure that you’re motivated, a non-procrastinator and you’re dedicated to getting what you want.

Benefits of Distance Learning
When considering all the benefits of Distance Learning, don’t overlook these:

Benefit #1 : Flexibility
Flexible Location : Because you’re not stuck in a classroom, you can study where ever you have access to materials — at home, the beach, the library, even while traveling!

Flexible Schedule: One of the difficulties in traditional studies is scheduling classes around work schedules, home life, child care, and personal preferences (for example, some people don’t do well in early morning classes). Distance Learning allows you to complete coursework during the time of day that best suits YOU.

Benefit #2: Convenience
Work at Your Own Pace: While there is generally a fixed time within which you must complete a course (and sometimes degree programs), you are not forced into a regimented schedule that means you can only do coursework from 2:00 – 3:00 on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. With distance learning, you are responsible for your schedule… if you want to “attend” a taped lecture at midnight, it’s YOUR choice.

Benefit #3: Support
Educator Support: Distance Learning programs often have EXCELLENT support from educators (be sure to consider this factor when choosing a program) — often, your instructor is just an e-mail or phone call away.

Benefit #4: Budget Saving
Room, Board, Gas: With distance learning, you get to learn from home (even if you live in a rural area), so you have no additional room, board, or travel costs — not even the gas associated with attending local “night classes”.

Benefit #5: Quantity AND Quality
Rural Students Have A Choice: If you enjoy life outside a large city, distance learning offers a wide range of topics and degrees you may not find locally. Additionally, distance learning allows you to CHOOSE the standards for the school you wish to attend — you’re not limited to what’s within driving distance.

Urban Residents Also Have A Choice: Even if you live in an area with numerous educational facilities, they may not offer the degree program or certification that interests you most — with distance learning, your choices are not determined by geography.

Sources:
http://www.distancelearninginfo.com/benefits_of_distance_learning.html
http://ks.essortment.com/benefitsdistanc_rrmz.htm