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In this day and age, you might be left wondering
which way to go when it comes to continuing your education.
The growing prevalence of online
degrees and their many advantages paired
with a weak economy and high unemployment are making
them an increasingly attractive option for degree
seekers. And while the often higher and seemingly
ever-increasing tuition of campus-based degrees is
an obvious disadvantage, there are still many reasons
as to why a degree obtained at a brick and mortar
school is still an attractive option.
If you are torn between which of these two routes
to take when it comes to furthering your education,
here are a few things you might want to consider in
your decision-making process.
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CAMPUS-BASED PROGRAMS
Pros
One of the greatest reasons for still attaining your degree
from a campus-based institution is the college experience
itself. For many, the time spent away at school is a time
for personal growth and experimentation. It provides an
interim period in which a young person can experience life
away from home, in which they are responsible for their
actions and lifestyle, yet still live in a reasonably safe,
secure, and somewhat controlled environment before they
are released into the real world in which they may have
to fend entirely for themselves.
During this college experience, there are numerous aspects
of living and learning that add to the list of pros for
attending school away from home and in a college campus
environment. In addition to experiencing life largely on
your own, there are the aspects of having to sign up for
and attend your classes, be to them on time, interact with
classmates through projects, presentations, and team building
activities, and similar responsibility building activities.
You may also find that your classmates and professors are
valuable resources in networking and providing you with
information that is helpful in growing and furthering your
career interests, skills, and abilities.
Cons
As mentioned earlier, the cost of a campus-based degree
can be one of the greatest detractors of this form of education.
But beyond the costs of tuition, housing, transportation,
books, and similar expenses, there may be other downsides
to an education obtained while at a college campus.
When you’re away at school, it might become apparent
that the time or schedule restrictions placed upon you don’t
meld well with your expectations or needs. You may not have
much control over when particular classes are offered and
if you live off campus or in distant student housing, transportation
can become an issue as well. Not only this, but if you have
to fit in time to work during your education, you might
find that the scheduling of your classes can interfere within
finding time to earn those paychecks that help pay for your
degree work.
Some students that head away for an education on a college
campus also find that the transition to living away from
home, sometimes hundreds of miles or more, can prove difficult
as well. Having to leave the support system of family and
friends can have you feeling lost and alone. And while this
might cause some students to thrive in the campus environment,
it can leave others unhappy and itching to come back home.
ONLINE PROGRAMS
Pros
The recent proliferation of online degree programs as well
as the number of recipients of online
degrees only goes to support the idea that there are
certainly positive aspects to getting a degree in this way.
One of the greatest advantages to online programs besides
the lower costs often associated with an online education,
is the ability to better fit the necessary coursework to
your schedule, rather than vice versa. With an online degree
program often comes the ability to fit classes into time
slots that best suit your scheduling requirements, allowing
you to meet family, work, and other obligations better than
in many campus-based programs.
Another advantage to online
colleges is that you don’t have to leave home
or move to another state to attend classes. This means that
it isn’t necessary to sell a home, move a family,
find a new job, make new friends, or leave your comfort
zone in order to obtain an education. With a huge variety
of online degree program options available, you can decide
which program best fits your needs, rather than focusing
on whether it would be feasible for you to move to a city,
state or country in which a particular campus-based institution
is located.
Finally, with more campus-based institutions offering online
coursework, you may be able to obtain a degree from a better
known academic institution but still receive many of the
advantages of an online program.
Cons
One of the major downsides to obtaining an education by
way of an online degree program is that a student may never
have the chance to truly break away from the nest and become
his or her own person. While this isn’t to say that
all online degree holders or participants will be frightened
to step outside their comfort zone or take a chance in life,
heading off to a college campus at a young age often acts
to force the issue a bit sooner than might occur when staying
at home to obtain a degree. This may or may not behoove
a student and can depending largely upon their personality,
maturity level, aspirations, and numerous other factors.
And while it might not be completely fair, there is still
a widely held belief among many that online degree programs
just don’t provide the quality of education that campus-based
programs do. The quality of an online program as compared
with a brick and mortar education may largely depend upon
the particular program comparison (which online program
is being compared to which campus-based institution) as
well as the intelligence, work ethic, and educational aptitude
of the students participating in a particular program’s
coursework.
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