When I was in college pursuing my undergraduate degree, about a quarter of the classes I took were online, even though I attended a traditional campus-based college.  Not all of their classes were offered online, but a good number of them were, and for scheduling purposes I took as many of the online courses as I could manage.

Initially I was a bit skeptical about online classes, but I pretty quickly grew to love them.  In many ways they are far superior to campus classes.  Sure, you miss out on the classroom environment, but the virtual classroom has its own set of advantages.

• More time for studying and coursework.  Since you don’t have to commute back and forth to campus or spend time in a classroom, you therefore have more time for doing assignments, reading the text, and studying for exams.
• More one-on-one with instructors.  I’ve found that online instructors tend to be more interested in connecting with their students one-on-one via email and messaging, and therefore more inclined to give extra help when needed.
• Lectures you can refer back to.  Many online instructors post lectures in the virtual classroom.  Because these are text, audio, or video files, they can be saved and referred back to at a later date, making it easier to study and learn the material.  After all, taking notes in a lecture class format can be so inaccurate!
• More freedom and flexibility in your learning habits.  Taking courses online allow you considerably more freedom in when and where you choose to learn.  If you have a busy schedule, you can do your coursework late at night in the privacy of your own home.  If you learn best when it’s quiet, you can take your laptop to the library.

Of course, because of its convenience and growing popularity, the cost of online education can be considerably more expensive than traditional college tuition costs.  So if you are interested in pursuing an online degree, you will probably want to look at ways to decrease the cost of college.  With the convenience and the advantages, though, I’m sure you’ll find it’s worth the extra effort!

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