I was a few months ahead of graduation when we entered a lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We had to accommodate really quickly and this meant transitioning to online classes and online meetings. I have never taken online classes before so I was not sure I liked them or not. As an introvert person, before the pandemic, I actually struggled some days to go out and attend classes with many people. There were days when I simply could not leave my room and go to classes. So, amidst the pandemic, I tried to focus on good things to keep my spirit up. Focusing on the benefits of online classes was one of the ways to keep my spirit up.
What are online classes?
Online classes have become more and more popular throughout the years especially due to the phenomenon of globalization. With advanced technology, we can access and enroll classes independent of where you are living in. A lot of colleges have also started offering online courses to get that portion of students who simply do not want to go to the other side of the world to enroll in a course.
Online classes are classes that are offered through the internet on different platforms. Some of them may offer certificates and some of them might not. Also, some courses are offered for free while some others have a price. Although there are not specific statistics on enrollment rates on online courses, it is sure that millions and millions of people are enrolled into these.
The main benefits I noticed
- Convenient
You can literally access your courses wherever you are in the world. Even if you are travelling somewhere, or if you are an introvert personality type, or have some issues due to which you cannot attend them physically, you can still attend your course. Another convenient aspect is that you do not have a specific time by which you have to attend the class. It is self-paced so if you are good at time management, you can deal with the assignments as you wish.
2. Saving money
It is a great advantage that you can save money by not having to move to another country to attend classes. Normally, when you apply for a college or institution, you will have to move to another city or country to be able to attend classes. So, this way, you will be able to save a lot of money and you can use it for other purposes.
3. Many opportunities
Online classes usually have no prior requirements that would limit our opportunities. When we apply for colleges, there might be endless requirements that make it impossible for us to attend that chosen program. With online classes, it is different. You can enroll and learn anything you want.
Online classes are offered for different fields nowadays. You can access classes from law to medical ones. The topics they cover come from a wide variety of fields which can help everyone in their differing fields.
4. Time-saving
Sometimes, attending classes at universities require you to work according to their schedules. When you attend online classes, you will be self-paced. This means that if you do not work well on Mondays, you are not required to work on Mondays. Based on your time management, you can do the assignments and read the chapters later in the week, however it is convenient for you.
5. Better for some personality types
Some people might be introvert or suffer from different mental health issues. When you have these kinds of issues, the tasks that are considered basic, such as dressing up, going out, might require huge amounts of energy. So, attending online classes gives the opportunity of attending classes from the comfort of your home.
Final Thoughts
Although we had to drastically change our way of living when we entered the lockdown, I tried to focus on the positive things I could notice around me. One of them is the benefit of online classes. Online classes helped me further expand my expertise from the comfort of my home.