7 Online Education Missteps Students Tend to Make
Online education has become extremely popular in the 21st century. This is mainly because it gives learners the flexibility to earn a degree while juggling other responsibilities like work and family. However, it is not uncommon for students to come across a few hurdles on the way, which can lead to more damage than they anticipate. Hence, it is important to do your homework before you plan to go ahead with your idea of taking up an online course.
In this article, we will discuss a few missteps that students tend to make and how they can easily avoid them. Take a look:
1. Skipping over accreditation:
A simple solution to this is, don’t. Before you enrol in any course, make sure the program is accredited. Verify the same with the agency and only then go ahead with the process. Most online colleges claim to be accredited with reputed schools. However, if they turn out to be fake, you will end up with a worthless degree and in debt.
2. Little or no face-to-face interaction:
It is true that online education allows you to work and improve all on your own. It doesn’t necessarily insist students to build a rapport with their teachers and peers. Nevertheless, it is important. Do not underestimate the impact of building a solid relationship with your instructors and classmates. This will assist you in your academics as well as in your personal life.
3. Ignoring their learning preference:
Online learning follows a few protocols. While it has several benefits, it also follows a few strict guidelines that require students to be disciplined. If you are someone who is a bit disorganised and generally tends to procrastinate, you may want to think twice before enrolling.
4. Not reviewing the curriculum:
If you are planning to take up a course that prepares you for your career, you need to review your curriculum before you sign up for it. Make sure to check if your course includes subjects that will train you for your future, instead of simply wasting your time with irrelevant subjects and projects.
5. Underestimating the task or syllabus:
Many students believe that online courses are simple and easy to handle. This is a myth. Students who generally enrol for such courses are either working full time or raising a family. Adding a degree to this only makes things slightly more difficult and requires strict discipline and time management skills.
6. Brushing off the red flags:
In this age of technology, everything is easily available to us and that includes a degree too. However, schools that promise to offer such degrees do not genuinely help you learn anything. Therefore, before you enrol, keep an eye out for the red signs. Schools that offer non-accredited programs, give no details about the faculty, tutors and courses, or require only your resume and credit card details in return for a degree with little to no work are usually institutions you should steer away from.
7. Not learning or researching about the instructor:
Before you pay for your online course, do a simple Google search about your instructor. Find out if they have taught an online course before. Check for their credibility and if possible try to get more details about them from their ex-students.
Besides students, these are some of the smart mantras parents can adopt for their child’s success in case they are signing up on behalf of their kids. Taking these measures will reward candidates with a program that will not only help them in their future but also give them a chance to come across individuals that can impact their life in a positive way. So choose wisely.
