The number of students obtaining a university education online has grown exponentially in the last decade with people of all ages, backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures turning to non-traditional methods of earning a degree. Through the Internet, information has become infinitely easier to disseminate, with technology that allows for on-screen lectures, webinars, and other forms of easy online learning and interactivity.
A Myriad of Benefits
Whether you have been away from school for a while or are straight out of high school, an online university education is becoming a preferable option. Students from all over the world are discovering that distance learning has a myriad of benefits. These include the ability to select your course of study or click through degree programs to see what is available in your chosen field, or what inspires you, in order to find a viable career path. By focusing on the rewards that a higher education brings, you will develop the self-discipline and new habits necessary to staying on schedule so that you earn your desired degree in a timely manner.
Main Points
There are many benefits of obtaining your university education online. At Florida National University, though we have three traditional campuses, we are finding that students are attracted to our online programs due to their convenience, flexibility, and cost effectiveness, as well as the opportunity they provide for students to meet other obligations while simultaneously advancing their career.
Convenience
Juggling the challenges in life such as a job, children, travel, or infirmity can be a deterrent when it comes to deciding whether to continue your education or not. Day to day responsibilities and obligations are usually the reasons why students decide to postpone their degree, which means they may never make it back to school. With online courses, you can maintain your lifestyle and meet your other obligations while carrying a doable course load online, taking your classes when you have free time.
Applying to Programs that are Not in Your Area
Additionally, the convenience of online learning allows you to choose from universities that are not available in the area where you live. This means that you can apply to schools that you might never have considered otherwise. Living in a rural area that is far from any colleges or universities or wanting a good program from a school that is far from where you live is no longer a deterrent.
Sharing Information from the Comfort of Home
Online learning allows you to submit assignments electronically, while enjoying stimulating virtual interaction with a peer group that consists of people from all over the world. Through the convenience of today’s technology, you can share a diversity of opinions, communicate with professors, and receive grades and feedback from the comfort of your home. And let’s not forget that when you are not going to a traditional campus, there are no parking or traffic problems. Not to mention that by not burning fuel with a daily commute, you’re reducing your carbon footprint and helping the environment.
Flexibility
Distance learning allows you to take courses at your own pace, whether it’s in your pajamas after the kids go to bed, when you come home from work, or if you are unable to leave home for any reason. Some universities operate on a traditional semester system, others on trimesters or quarters, or even in block schedules where courses take from four to six weeks to complete. Choose the number of classes you can handle within your personal schedule and you will be well on your way towards obtaining a degree that can help you achieve greater results in your career.
Catering to Your Ability to Learn
An online university education provides accessibility to lectures and materials that you can review over and over again, whether they are in video or text format. If you miss a session or miss certain points in a lecture, you can easily go back and review as often as you like, as a permanent record of all materials and discussions that occur in your classes is always available. Online learning is designed to cater to your particular ability to learn.
Accessible Course Materials
Through downloaded assignments and well-produced lectures, online course materials are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Whether you are a night owl or are studying on a lunch break, you have the flexibility of attending classes when it is best for you.
Financial Benefits
With no commuting or on-campus expenses, out of pocket expenditure is much less than when you are earning your degree in a traditional setting. With online courses, you can continue your education for less money in general. Because research information is supplied online, you do not have to suffer the often high costs of textbooks and other ancillary elements. If you do need to purchase hard copy materials, it will still be far less than if you were in a traditional university.
Career Advancement
Exposure to teachers from various locations throughout the country and even the world provides you with an expanded range of knowledge that might not otherwise be gleaned from books alone. Different perspectives provided by learned professors who work in the field will give you a more rounded education and a wider view of your chosen career path. Personal interaction with your professors through the give and take of questions, along with personal feedback, will help you gain greater mastery over your subject material, and often it is easier to have this type of relationship with teachers who are themselves in an online setting.
Review Course Materials and Lectures At Any Time
Online classes are never cancelled, as there is always a professor available to cover current materials or due to the occasional pre-recorded class. Applying class concepts to real life situations creates better leaders, and here you have the opportunity to gain solid knowledge through the repetition of course work if you need consistent review.
Reduction of Stress
Many students find that testing online produces less stress than in conventional settings. When the stress is reduced, your ability to raise your test scores increases because you feel less pressure during the testing period. This is also true when it comes to completing assignments, allowing you to learn and absorb more, which leads to better grades. Receiving an Associates or Bachelors degree usually will provide you with a higher wage than if you are applying for jobs with just a high school diploma or a GED.
Easy Transfer of Credits
An online university education allows you to study at a prestigious institution from anywhere in the world. By choosing an accredited university like Florida National University, which is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission, your credits are also easily transferred if you decide to continue the educational process to obtain more degrees because accreditation indicates that a university has been reviewed by a peer board and evaluated to ensure that the university’s standards meet those of universities across the nation.
Contact Us
For more information on our online program, contact us today.
