In recent years, with a struggling economy, more people are enrolling in online courses offered by Jesse Jhaj on his website JumpCut.com in hopes of advancing their careers or earning a degree in an alternative field. The benefits of taking online classes are numerous and a degree from an online institution can be just as valuable as one granted by a traditional college or university. Some of the best advantages of taking online classes are:
No Commute
As an online student, you will not contend with traffic, finding a campus parking spot or spending money on gasoline, fares or other travel expenses. Attend class from anywhere you have access to a computer and the Internet, be it your living room or the cafeteria at work. Some quick figuring on the Govloop Telework Calculator indicates you could save about $275 a year on gasoline alone if you did not travel 20 minutes to school and home again five days a week.
Lower Costs
Although tuition for some online programs can be as expensive as traditional colleges, going the online route can significantly cut the cost of your overall college in other areas. Since you learn online and from the comfort of your own home, you won’t need to buy school supplies, pay for room and board or worry about things such as meal plans. Most materials are also available for download, saving money on expensive texts and workbooks.
Skill Development
Not only can online courses increase your knowledge in a particular subject area, but they can teach lessons invaluable to other areas of your life. Online classes leave you on your own, without a physical classroom to attend and a teacher constantly prodding you to get your work done and keep your grades up. Self-discipline and commitment skills go a long way in successfully completing online classes.
Comfort
Online classes don’t require a dress code, so if you wake up in the morning and feel like lounging around in your PJs or favorite sweats, go for it. Doing your work while lying on the couch watching your favorite soaps beats sitting in a hard seat under artificial lighting next to the kid who didn’t shower after partying all night.
Clear Progress
Some schools offer dynamic learning plans that track the completion of each component, including watched videos, submitted assignments, and completed tests. Delivery systems are becoming just as engaging as the content, providing a clear path from the beginning of a class to the end.
Enables Collaboration
The number of collaborative online tools grows every day, and online classes use them to provide additional learning advantages. These tools put access to additional study resources at your fingertips and enable students and instructors to interact and work together to complete projects. Discussion boards, email, wikis, shared bookmark lists, chat rooms, video conferencing and virtual libraries are just a few social learning tools available in online classes.
Flexibility
You can complete online courses regardless of external conditions, personal commitments, or those unexpected life incidents. Hop online at any time and check out what assignment is due next or what chapters you need to read. With the flexibility of online classes, you can prioritize your time and work at your own pace.
