The Financial and Academic Benefits of Online Classes

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We're all scared of being alone in the world or having to figure things out for ourselves. We seek guidance everywhere we go, including: school, shopping, finances, personal advice etc.

Heck, the reason why you're reading this blog is to seek guidance in your financial situation from someone who has been there before and knows what they are talking about.

This brings me to the main point of this article stop seeking guidance because once you enter the real world, its like being thrown into a pool not knowing how to swim properly.

Now sure you know how to doggy-paddle or wade your way across the pool, but do you really know what you're doing? Hence the reason why people seek guidance. Well

I'm here to show you a trick in college that allows you to maximize your academic potential while saving money and time and doing it by yourself.

The first and foremost academic benefit to taking online classes is that you choose when you want to do the work.

Of course there are deadlines involved, but when it comes down to it, if you set your own study plan throughout the week and keep up with the assigned readings then you will do spectacular.

The truth is: online classes are not that hard, they just intimidate people because of the lack of professor or once
again, guidance.

Academic Benefits of Online Classes

Here are several academic pros to online classes:

• Most of the assignments and exams are all online (sure they might be a little more difficult) but when you have the books (and google 😉 ) infront of you, you can flip through them and find the answers. ** The
  trick here is to take detailed notes when reading the text and online lectures, and then sticky note any definitions or concepts that seem more important or that are stressed by the professor.** This allows you
  to not only recall answers from memory but also if you suffer from a momentary memory lapse, you can speedily flip through your notes.
• You get to choose when you do the work. There are no assigned classes or labs. You're all on your own. This isn't so bad however because you can take it at your own pace. Do you often find that
  lectures are given too quickly, without enough time to even take down the proper notes. Then you go online to check the lectures and your prof isn't the type to post them? That can be frustrating. Well, here's the
  benefit to online classes: all of the lectures are posted online as if the prof were speaking to you himself. They also provide powerpoint slides that correlate to the lectures to provide full understanding. ** This saves time from going to class, as well as being able to fully understand the prof at your own pace.** One good thing to remember as well, is if you don't understand the content, the prof is still there to answer questions as well as the rest of your classmates on your discussion boards.

Financial Advantages of Online Classes

Well now that I have discussed the academic advantages to online classes, lets discuss several financial benefits:

• When taking online classes you open your schedule to be able to work a full-time or part-time job. This semester I took strictly online classes and was able to work and have enough time to work
  on my school work. My boss was able to hire me easier because I had a fully open schedule as compared to other students who were unable to work at certain parts of the day because of classes. I got to choose when I
  did my school work, which was mostly before or after work, but the best part is that i could even do some of my school work at work. Now talk about killing two birds with one stone. In college, money is hard enough
  to come by with the inflation of textbooks and the rising tuition. To top it off, if you live alone or with roommates, money just might be impossible to come by. ** Here is where online classes are so valuable, you can work and go to school at the same time comfortably.** The trick here is that: “yes”, you're going to have less free time and time to yourself, but in the end you're making decent money while going to
  school. WINNING! You can still get a girls number in an online class too for those of you that are worried about the social aspect.
• The last advantage to taking online classes in the financial-sense is that, you save A LOT! There is a slightly higher cost for online classes, averaging around $100 if you take a full online course load, but it is worth it. Think about the time and money that you would save from going to class. The problem for me was that I lived far from my school and didn't have a car. A bus ride to school would involve 3 transfers and
  would take almost an hour and a half… now explain to me who wants to take an hour and a half bus ride for a 50 minute lecture?? To me I didn't see myself gaining anything, I saw myself losing the time that I could be
  using studying. Time is money, right? **By dropping in-class classes and taking online courses, i was able to do my work from home without the added hassle of getting ready for class, driving or busing there and
  sitting through a boring lecture.** The trick here is that you always have to stay focused on your schoolwork, and you CANNOT fall behind 🙂

Thoughts on Online Courses

Now that we've weighed the pros and some cons to taking online classes, you can really see the benefits.

I mean, why put yourself through more stress and hassle when college is hard enough?

The pressure of exams and making it to all of your classes, while still trying to maintain that social image or standard is difficult.

So let's ease the burden a little and make things easier for yourself. The choice is yours.

Thanks to  Martin of Studenomics for today;s guest post.