eaving school for the big, bad world of further education can feel a little overwhelming, at least to begin with.
First, there’s the pressure of figuring out what you want to do with your life – whilst your heart says professional chocolate taster (it’s a real job, swear), your parents won’t stop going on about becoming a doctor or a lawyer.
Then once you’ve made it over that hurdle, you’ve just got the little task of picking where to go to uni.
That’s a decision made even more complicated with the rise of online universities, now a serious contender for the traditional brick-and-mortar institutions around the UK.
To help clear up a little confusion and give you all the facts to make an informed choice, we’re running through five of the biggest benefits of distance learning. Take a look.
#1: boosting your CV
We’ll admit that distance learning used to have a bad reputation, but that’s changed drastically over the past decade. With credible universities, like Anglia Ruskin, offering a variety of online degrees through cutting edge Virtual Learning Environments, it’s no longer an option to be sniffed at.
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Their courses and qualifications are now widely accepted and respected by employers, and will make a valuable contribution to your CV.
#2: living at home
City living isn’t for everyone, especially as a student (remember, university towns tend to come with extortionate rental rates).
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By signing up to a distance learning course, you don’t have to move to an expensive city or stay in a dingy flatshare with strangers. Instead, you can remain at home and enjoy your mum’s cooking for longer, or rent a place with friends you actually want to live with.
#3: working at the same time
Student jobs have always had a reputation for being a bit pants – you’re either stuck behind a bar every evening or wasting all your weekends earning minimum wage in customer service hell.
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With distance learning, there are no daytime classes or lectures to attend and you set your own study hours. It means you can find a decent job, get your foot on the career ladder, and earn a degree in your own time, around your work schedule. It’s a win-win situation.
#4: saving money on tuition fees
There are no two ways about it, university is expensive. Recent research revealed that the average graduate will still have a debt of £60,000 up to 30 years after finishing their degree, and it’s all thanks to ever increasing tuition fees.
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You can save yourself some money by attending an online university, as the tuition tends to be much cheaper than the rates charged by traditional brick-and-mortar institutions. It’s also likely to reduce your travel and living costs as well.
#5: studying wherever you want
We’ve saved the best benefit for last, and boy is it a winner. Since you’ll be in charge of your own schedule as a distance learner, you can study from anywhere and any place you want – so long as you’ve got a decent internet connection.
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Sat on the sofa in your PJs, tucked away in the corner of your favourite coffee shop, curled up in bed under the duvet, it’s up to you where you get your work done. With no nine o’clock lectures or Friday afternoon tutorials to attend, it’s a level of freedom most students won’t enjoy.