We learn something new everyday, and as technology rapidly accelerates, education is becoming more available to people throughout the world. All someone needs is a smartphone and an internet connection to have the world at their fingertip. Subsequently, people wonder and debate whether it’s better to learn in a classroom setting or through a computer screen, ie, online or on-campus. Therefore, I thought sharing my experience with students would help them make an informed decision.
This spring is my third semester of college, and during my first two, I solely did online courses, ranging from English classes to Accounting, or STEM-related ones in computer science and calculus. Unlike the myth, online is not less demanding or rigorous than on campus-courses; they’re very similar. Online and on-campus professors both follow schedules based on their syllabi. They both present similar challenges: difficult material, a requirement for time management, and discovering how the class functions. Finally, in both contexts, there should be a professor present who enjoys his or her job and wants to foster growth and critical thinking. I enjoyed my online courses for these reasons, but the essential reason I took online courses is that they were convenient for me, which is also why many other students take them.
When taking online courses, students can create a learning environment tailored to their learning style and needs. For example, they don’t need to over study a topic if they feel comfortable on it, which may occur in a group class setting; or on the contrary, students can spend as much time as they need to understand something. This independence can appear daunting sometimes, but people can succeed in virtual classes with some determination and a proactive mindset. They don’t have to feel alone, either. They can reach out to other students through discussion boards, or they could email their professors to ask a question or schedule a review session. They should try to answer the problem themselves first, though. Practicing this skill will help make a student more marketable to the workforce since he or she will have acquired valuable problem-solving skills.
In conclusion, I’d recommend online courses to students because they maintain high standards and develop competency and self-sufficiency. Most professionals suggest having both an online and in-person class because then students can have both sets of benefits, and I fully agree with them.