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Why is Online
Learning so
Popular (and is
it for me)?
By: Tanja Gardner
Why Keep
Learning?
There's no
doubting that
adult education
is a huge
industry
nowadays. With
the job market
growing ever more
competitive, and
employees being
expected to
continually
develop
themselves
professionally
(whatever their
profession),
'lifelong
learning' has
become a
necessity, rather
than just an
added bonus.
Failure to up
skill can be the
difference
between getting
the job of your
dreams, and
losing out to a
slightly more
qualified
candidate - or
simply being
passed up yet
again for a
promotion.
Even for those
outside of the
workforce,
education is the
most reliable
path to better
relationships, a
better financial
situation, and
better quality of
life over all.
Jim Rohn,
America's
foremost business
philosopher, has
been known to say
that 'Formal
education will
make you a living
- self education
will make you a
fortune!'
But what is it
about Internet
education (or
'webucation')
that makes it so
popular? How do
we know if online
learning is right
for us, or if
we're better off
signing up for
face-to-face
classes somewhere
local?
Advantages of
Learning On-line
The most obvious
advantage of
on-line education
is its sheer
flexibility in
terms of time. It
allows you to
study totally on
your own
timetable, around
the many other
commitments you
already have in
your life. You
can study while
working
full-time, while
you're doing
shift work or
while caring for
children or
relatives.
Whether you're at
your best early
in the morning or
late in the
evening, you can
study at a time
that suits you.
You don't have to
worry about
catching tutors
during their
office hours, and
courses are
available to you
24/7, so you
don't have to
worry about
fitting in with
your lecturer's
schedule.
Equally helpful
is the
geographical
flexibility it
gives you.
Suddenly,
transport
logistics become
a non-issue. You
can study courses
based in other
cities - indeed
in other
countries. Travel
costs like petrol
and parking or
public transport
are a thing of
the past; and you
don't have to
factor in travel
time either (not
to mention
cutting out any
rushing between
classes if you're
studying more
than one at a
time!)
Almost more
important than
logistics for
many students,
however, is the
fact that online
learning allows
you to
personalize your
study. If you
already know some
of the material
in the course
syllabus, you
don't need to
wait for your
fellow students
to cover it
before you move
on to what *you*
want to learn. If
you're having
difficulty
understanding a
particular
concept, you can
spend as much
time on it as you
want without
feeling you're
slowing your
classmates down.
You can find
courses that are
delivered in the
medium *you*
learn best in -
whether that be
audio, video, or
the written word.
Online courses
can be far more
affordable than
face-to-face
classes as well.
Fees are often
lower; even
before you factor
in the lack of
transport costs,
parking,
childcare fees,
and any need to
eat out. Most
online courses
will allow you to
study totally at
your own pace, so
you can end up
completing your
course in far
less time than it
would take if
you'd been
attending weekly
classes.
Is Online
Education For
Everyone?
The truth is that
Internet
education won't
suit everyone.
For a start, you
need to have a
basic
understanding of
how to use a
computer and
connect to the
internee, and not
everyone does.
However, the fact
that you're
reading this
article online
suggests you
already have that
understanding.
You need to have
regular Internet
access - and it
will be easier
for you to study
to your own
timetable if you
can connect to
the 'Net at home,
rather than at a
friend's or a
public library.
Just as for
face-to-face
classes (perhaps
a little more
so), you need to
be organized and
fairly
self-motivated.
You need to know
exactly why you
want to complete
the course you
enroll in, and
really understand
what difference
passing it will
make in your
life. You need to
be able to plan
out when you're
going to dedicate
time to studying,
and have the
commitment to
honor your plans.
If you know what
you want to get
out of online
education,
however, and
you're willing to
follow the study
plans you set for
yourself, a
'webucation' can
provide you with
huge
opportunities! It
can reduce the
logistical
hassles of
studying
important
courses, while
providing you
with a far more
enjoyable,
convenient and
personalized
learning
experience. All
this, and often
at a price far
less than
face-to-face
classes would
cost you - it's
no wonder Forbes
magazine
described
internet
education as "one
of the biggest
emerging trends
of the decade".
Author
Bio
Tanja Gardner (https://optimumlife.co.nz)
is a stress
management and
fitness coach
who's worked in
education for two
years. If you're
interested in a
whole new way to
learn online that
lets you *earn*
while you study,
visit
https://optimumlife.successuniversity.com/new
for a free 14 day
trial.
Article
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