The advantages of taking online courses over going to a traditional, brick-and-mortar institution are many. Apart from offering you time flexibility by allowing you to take lessons at your preferred time, they also save you the hassle of having to physically to a classroom facility. However, another advantage of taking online courses is the fact that they help instill certain skills that are applicable in real-life situations.
Read on to find out four ways in which taking online courses can prove beneficial to you in real life.
Helps You Advance Your Career
It’s worth noting that it’s not only those going for IT and business-related jobs who can benefit from taking online courses; there are also courses on personal development topics such as leadership, public speaking, sales, marketing, etc. From a Pharm.D program that will help you become a licensed pharmacist to an online nursing degree, the possibilities are limitless. You may even find amazing health sciences and pharmacy programs that will help you stay ahead of the game if you are looking to enter the healthcare industry.
Helps Build your Online Communication Skills
Taking an online course can help sharpen your teamwork and collaboration skills in virtual settings. You’ll constantly find yourself sending and receiving emails from your online instructor, or even instant messaging with your online classmates for group work consultations. The impact of this skill in real life situations is significant as business interactions are becoming less ‘face-to-face’ and more virtual.
As businesses become increasingly global in nature, more organizations are establishing virtual work-spaces; with their staff spread out throughout the world. Acquiring a good sense of online communication is therefore crucial to achieving success in such a setting.
Helps Improve Your Self-Discipline
Online courses lack close student supervision, due to the distance factor. This compels students to work on their self-discipline if they’re to complete the coursework and earn a certification. You’ll need to constantly find some energy and motivation needed to even take your online lessons, helping strengthen your personal accountability in the process.
According to United Medical Education their online automatic testing and delivery system enables online medical students to achieve their academic goals at their own pace; meaning that you’ll have to work on your self-motivation if you’re to complete the course. Improving this aspect about your personality will come in handy in real life workplace situations, as those who tend to take personal initiative with minimal supervision are usually more productive.
Helps Hone your Technology Skills
Have you ever had one of those frustrating days at work? Maybe you’re finding it rather difficult to locate a simple Microsoft PowerPoint tool that you need to complete an office project for your supervisor? What’s more, you go to the IT technician and he opens up the said tool with no more than two clicks of a mouse, making you feel even more IT-illiterate.
An online IT course may help. This is because online courses comprise assignments and test quizzes that necessitate regular use of technology tools and software that you’re likely to encounter in workplace settings.
For example, your online course quiz may require you to create a Microsoft Excel database showcasing records of students against points attained. The knowledge you gain on how to use ‘MS Excel’ tools while doing this quiz might come in handy later in your life, for instance when your manager asks you to create some customer records or performance reports.
Helps Hone your Leadership Skills
By taking online lessons, you’ll be compelled to make your own choices in regard to when to read the lecture notes and when to submit assignments. This cultivates your decision-making and problem-solving skills. As mentioned earlier, this learning avenue helps build self-discipline, a desirable virtue among leaders.
From helping you develop your self-discipline, to helping hone your technology/IT and leadership skills; enrolling at an online academic institution offers lots of advantages. With the above in mind, we recommend that you take online courses if you’re looking to learn more than your average brick-and-mortar institution can offer.
