Before the internet, the idea that you could access information on any subject was almost laughable. Today, however, the world’s knowledge is literally at our fingertips, allowing us to tap into the wisdom of every generation before us. Yet navigating this vast ocean of information is like searching for a needle in a haystack due to its sheer volume. After all, the internet has everything. If you are looking for 3-reel, 5-reel, or multireel games, you will find them in the same manner you could find schematics for a hydroelectric dam or recipes for jello.
This is where online courses come in. These short, targeted learning modules focus on a specific area of knowledge and are available via many reputable websites. While they may not offer official credits toward education, many offer completion certificates and show self-improvement to prospective employers.
More than this, there are a number of reasons these short courses found online are worthwhile. If you’re wondering whether you should sign up for on, keep reading as we delve into their benefits.
They offer unparalleled flexibility.
Studying at a formal education provider often requires you to make sacrifices to your daily schedule and lifestyle to ensure that your studies come first, which can lead to an unbalanced school/private life and make studying tedious.
In contrast, online courses offer flexibility that makes your studies fit your schedule. While this is a double-edged sword, as it could lead you to be less studious than you should be, it can be an unrivaled advantage if you’re also trying to juggle work, a family, or other commitments.
Online courses are significantly cheaper.
According to statistics from early 2024, attending college in the US will cost around $38,270 per student for a single year. This cost includes textbooks and daily living expenses but is still far beyond the reach of many seeking more education.
Online courses are a vastly more affordable option often available, and some even allow enrollment for free. Moreover, many don’t require textbooks or additional expenses like finding accommodation close to campus.
There are thousands of courses available.
Despite the many educational institutions worldwide offering a massive number of subjects to learn, they cannot compete with the variety available online. There are thousands of courses that range from item-specific (such as a course on learning Adobe Premier Pro) to more general (such as basic accounting and beyond).
This wide selection helps you not only find studies that are perfectly suited to what you want to learn but also discover subjects you may not have considered.
Courses often connect you to international communities.
Many online courses connect you with local and international students who have chosen to study the same subject. This is done to foster a “study group” atmosphere where questions can be asked and answered, and general discussions about the course can be held.
While this is modeled in traditional institutions, the variety of learners in an online course community can bring unique attributes, such as different viewpoints on common subjects and different cultural interpretations, to the learning experience. Combined, these help provide an exceptional learning environment.
Online courses help develop self-discipline and other critical skills.
As mentioned, the flexibility of online courses is one of their most attractive features, but it can also lead to laziness or procrastination. However, this risk can also be used as a learning experience to sharpen your self-discipline and ensure that you complete assignments and tests when due—achieving academic success without a lecturer chasing you down.
Self-discipline and other critical skills like self-learning are essential in almost every area of life. Honing these skills while completing an online course can help you gain more from it and become a better-rounded individual.
Most courses offer instant feedback and grading.
Unlike traditional learning models, which require quizzes, exams, and tests to be graded through a lengthy process, online courses traditionally offer much faster feedback—often instant. The ability to instantly see how well you’ve done can help avoid unnecessary anxiety and stress.
More than this, online courses often show you where you went wrong and why. This provides a more significant learning opportunity, as you can learn from your mistakes and avoid them in the future.
They are engaging and can provide valuable insights into how you learn.
Traditional learning has made headway in embracing technology to aid in learning presentation. However, it still lacks the full interactivity offered by online courses. This is because most traditional learning occurs in person, which lacks many of the benefits that the internet and technology bring.
Because of this, online courses can often be more interactive and engaging, making them easier to stay focused on and drawing you deeper into learning—something traditional institutions are trying to model. Additionally, many online courses track how you learn and can provide insights such as how long you studied for and your weak areas in tests.
They offer long-term access that can be used for refreshers.
As many online courses offer lifetime access once paid, the coursework used remains accessible long after you’ve completed your studies. Moreover, because this information is stored online, some courses are updated when new revisions become available—giving you access to the latest knowledge.
This long-term access can be particularly beneficial should you require a refresher on any particular area of study. It can also help you stay up to date with changes in certain things (such as when studying accounting, which is subject to different regulations that are updated often).
Conclusion
While online courses may mimic traditional education in that they offer a way to expand your horizons and deepen your knowledge, this is often where the comparisons end. In every other way, these courses are unique and offer various benefits that regular studies don’t. These benefits not only make them worthwhile but, in some instances, make them preferable to traditional education—especially in cases where time and finances are strained. These can bridge the gap and help boost your resume without breaking the bank or putting your life on hold indefinitely. With all their other advantages, there’s no reason not to look for an online course today.
