We have entered a new era and are pushing up against the new digital age. Till now, and when the millennials graduated, we had only traditional degrees where regular attendance and submitting assignments were a mandate.
There was no flexibility and online education was considered an oddity. But with the change in time and the birth of Gen Z, the Centennials, the graduation game has entirely changed.
Did you know that according to a study conducted by the Online Learning Consortium, one out of 4 students i.e. almost 28% of students in a university prefer online courses over regular classes and the traditional system?
It was also reported in the same study that, “The total of 5.8 million falls 2014 distance education students were composed of 2.85 million taking all of their distance learning courses and 2.97 million taking some, but not all, distance courses.”
Now you can see most of the well-known universities offer full degree programs online along with the traditional on-campus degrees. Yes, and this gives the students an opportunity to weigh their situations and decide what’s best for them.
Even the most renowned universities like the State’s Universities and Harvard provide both online degrees as well as the conventional degrees.
But why do they do this?
You will be astonished to know that employers no longer think that traditional education is somewhere important or weighs more than the online postgraduate courses.
In fact, the U.S. News and World Report only includes regionally accredited programs in their annual list of Best Online Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree. You see, the employers don’t think about the way the education has been imparted but consider both the degrees equal.
Online Degrees & Traditional Degrees: The Fuss Simplified
Christ F.L., a professor at a presentation in TechEd, Long Beach said, “Online students can be better retained, experience greater course satisfaction, and learn more in less time with greater ease and confidence when an online course such as in James Cook University Online is linked to an Academic Support System and is designed with activities and information that assist them to become a collegial group and learn more effectively and efficiently.”
He said it right! In the new era, it no longer is about where you are completing the degree at or if or not you are attending the lectures in a brick and mortar university, it is all about learning, no matter what medium you choose.
Employers now view both; traditional classroom university degrees and online degrees as absolute equals.
How To Choose Between Traditional Classroom University & Online Degree?
Now, that we know what employers think about traditional and online degrees, it is time we study a few aspects as to weigh the choice between the two extremes for students.
Here, in order to simplify the debate further for the students, we are lining up a set of pros and cons of online degrees. And if you fall into the category of choosing between the two modes of degrees, you can weigh all the pros and cons from the list and decide.
Merits of Distance learning or Online Degrees
Ease or Flexibility
One of the most attractive attributes of choosing an online degree is having the ease to handle the family or other responsibilities along with the studies. Especially, if the student is married or a parent, it is difficult to leave the family afar and study.
Inexpensive and burdenless
A number of reports show how postgraduates tend to favor online degrees than traditional classroom degrees because of finances. They might still be burdened by the debts from their graduation days and so, distance learning gives them an ability to pay for the studies while running a job that pays well.
Better backup for the lectures
Classroom teaching only gives the students ease of studying with handmade notes and printed technology only while online degrees enables the students to save their lectures, videos in a backup and go back to them, whenever they want to.
Better time management
There is nothing better than being able to schedule your personal agendas along with being able to study. The online degree gives you the ability to study at your own pace and time while also being able to align your personal life.
Demerits of Distance learning or Online Degrees
Distractions because no classes to attend
For example, if you are a parent or a working mother, it shall still be difficult to give proper attention to studies while the kid demands your attention too. Especially, because you are studying from the comfort of your home. Unlike, traditional classes where you can head to the library to study.
No study groups mean no networking
A traditional institution is a great place to make new friends and talk about the course or just plainly build a network. But with an online degree, a student will not be able to build a professional network that effectively.
Lack of Motivation
With an online degree in hand, seriousness somehow takes a break. As a student, you become careless about studying on time. So much that even the fees don’t burn your pocket, anymore because you are continuously working too.
This, in turn, gives birth to a lack of motivation to excel in the course. And with no other students present, the feeling of being a competition fades away slowly.
Final words
So, you see, it isn’t about just the mode of education that holds more importance but the acceptance of academic experts, and employers, as well as the situations that the student is in.
And as far as all the studies have concluded, a student doesn’t really need a degree from a traditional institution but an online degree from a prestigious name which is regionally accredited counts just right!
Go ahead, weigh your choices and get that degree you have always been looking forward to.
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