Pros and Cons When It Comes To Attending Online College
The whole college experience in the United States can seem daunting. It is difficult to get into good schools on a mediocre academic record. Most Ivy League universities charge an arm and a leg for tuition. College debt and student loan burdens are at their highest point ever. In the digital age, however, there is an alternative: online college. Some basic ones are affordable and well structured. They make use of educational versions of modern tools like Blizz collaboration to educate students online. Online college may sound too good to be true to a large number of people. Therefore, this blog will examine the pros and cons of attending an online college.
The Pros and Cons of Online College
Making the choice to go to the right university can be scary. You could be going back to school after an extended break. Or you could simply be near your high school graduation and are unsure of what to do next. There are so many choices out there that it is very easy to get confused or even overwhelmed. One of these choices is a very flexible one called online college. The schedules are very accommodating. There is no dress code. You don’t need to leave your home. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Well, there’s a flip side as well, but we will get to that later. For now, here are the pros and cons of attending online college:
Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons in turn.
Pros
- No Need for Physical Presence
- No Time Restrictions
- Lesser Financial Burden
- Accelerated Programs
Online college, whatever you might have heard otherwise, is an increasingly popular option. Many argue that online college is in keeping with modern times and the digital age. Below follow details on some of the pros of attending college online.
- No Need for Physical Presence
You don’t need to get up early, dress and rush to class. Not when you can simply attend class from anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection. You don’t need to allow for the long commute to campus. And you also don’t have to worry about finding parking spaces when you are running late. This takes away many of the distractions and allows you to focus more on classwork. Online college opens up educational opportunities to people from all over the world. And, of course, you don’t need to worry about wearing proper pants, if you are the comfortably lazy sort.
- No Time Restrictions
Anyone who has ever had to work one or more jobs while studying knows how hard it is. It becomes impossible at times to juggle your studies with your work routine. Online classes make life much easier for students with busy work schedules. There are no time restrictions on the classes. This means you can attend your class at any time during the day. Online college makes it much easier to balance your college life with your professional life.
- Lesser Financial Burden
Traditional classroom experiences tend to be more expensive than their online versions. Most of the time, students have expenditures like accommodation, food, and travel in addition to tuition. Online classes also tend to be more flexible and allow students to work full time. This means they will probably owe less money when they graduate than traditional college students.
- Accelerated Programs
Since online classes are more flexible than regular classes, you can accomplish more in less time. You can take 3 months’ worth of classes in a month or less. You can even take classes during the holidays. Doing so will help you trim down the time to your graduation. If you do it right, you may graduate earlier than the time for a regular degree.
Cons
- Missing out on University Experience
- Perceived Stigma
- Instructors Less Easily Approachable
There are just 3 major downsides to choosing an online college. Below follow some details on them.
- Missing out on University Experience
The biggest con is missing out on the university experience. You will find it harder to create a community in online college. It will be even more difficult to make friends. You miss out on the learning experience that comes from traditional classrooms. And of course, no frat parties for you.
- Perceived Stigma
Online college options have improved substantially over the last few years. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of stigma associated with online college. Oftentimes, people do not grant them the same merit as a traditional school. However, many traditional schools offer online programs as well, which can help reduce stigma.
- Instructors Less Easily Approachable
It doesn’t matter if your online college uses the best version of TeamViewer to make connections easier. With online college, your professor’s timeline is supreme. Professors are notoriously bad at checking and responding to emails. Your questions about classes could go unanswered for days.