Although online college education has been around for decades, the majority of people are not yet familiar with it. That is why, even after many years, it is still surrounded by lots of misconceptions. For prospective online learners, here are some things that you might find surprising.
Studying online is not as cheap as you may think it is.
Conventional wisdom might make people think that online learning is a cheaper alternative to the traditional face-to-face program. However, that is not exactly true. You may hear online students say that distance learning is more affordable. Usually, they are only referring to the money that they save from transportation costs and from being able to study while working.
Finding the perfect online program takes time.
Because of its growing demand, the number of online programs these days is skyrocketing. That might make you think that it would be relatively easy to find a course that you want. However, the process can be fairly challenging.
Every student has his own needs and expectations. So, experts recommend spending more time in researching the right class. Contact relevant academic departments and ask them questions about the course. Look for reviews of the class or professor from former or current students.
There is no need to be a tech genius for you to succeed in an online program.
With the abundance of technology, there are still many students who are not that good in using technology. If you are one of them, there is no need for you to worry. You do not need to be a computer whiz for you to figure out how to log in and participate in your online courses.
Usually, studying in online schools only requires typical college skills. As long as you can manage to surf the net, attach files, or use Microsoft office, you will be fine. For communication and video conferencing, you might also use email, live chat, or Skype.
