Of course you are not coming across a piece on online learning the very first time, but this will definitely read different. Because the focal point here is neither on why should you pursue an online degree from an accredited online university nor on the greatness of getting a formal degree from a element and mortar college. Rather, it is an investigation into whether doing a degree online is a `secondary’ or `tertiary’ (to say the least) thing as do hard-core traditionalists, who secured their prestigious degree from famed onsite colleges or universities, still like to believe.
So to begin with, what do people associate online learning with, in the first go? A recent happening that could be tagged `phenomenal’ in academic spectrum is the pace with which majority of world-class traditional colleges are extending their services as online learning schools. But how many perceive online learning as a potential educational method that sates the needs of gadget-savvy youth of the next generation? To a great many, online degrees are for college drop-outs in their 40s or for those who scored pretty badly in their undergraduate levels. Strange; isn’t it? But here’s your take: It is true that online universities do mostly let students of any age category earn a degree at their own convenience. But that does not mean the learner should be a drop-out. Secondly, nearly all accredited online courses will have a certain set of qualification requirements or online tests to ensure that the student is able to perform online.
Forget the age matter; the biggest worry a prospective student may have about online learning will be learning through online itself. May be the college is offering on-the-edge courses that fetch a fortune in today’s complex job market. But will it be okay learning without the help of a real teacher? Of course, distance does matter a lot. But to think about the beeline of virtual instructors just a mouse click away! While your campus counterparts get themselves lost between huge book-shelves in the college library and yawn irritably during the long extending lecture sessions, believe you’ll be gaining extra miles learning through streaming videos and partaking in interactive online sessions!
A yet more perturbing and significant thing related to earning an online degree must be the value of the certificate one earns after enrolling in an online school. While onsite colleges promise detailed study and hands-on training, could online learning be an effective alternative? Not likely, you may think. But it could possibly be, considering the hard work and time an online student has to dedicate for independent reading, assignment and writing; all unassisted by a real-life instructor. One reason why people consider online degrees as `secondary’ could also be attributed to the general feeling that online course curriculum is not as broad as a campus based regular program. Could it be the truth? A proper review of course curriculum offered by major online universities will reveal that most of the courses are really extensive and demand a lot from the learner. (Online College accreditation and degree certification are matters altogether different; so better if we keep it aside).
And finally, what’s the treatment meted out to online degree holders at the job market which is growing global and more and more competitive? Thanks to the pioneers among online degree graduates who happened to be scapegoats at interview boards, which then out of sheer lack of knowledge apparently scorned at online universities, but were later successful in either helping a company to build up or initiating innovative ventures of their own. Today, the appreciation an online student gains at global interview boards is fairly encouraging; with the number of online graduates getting absorbed in global companies going up each time. So kudos to freshers of virtual college!
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