Expanding your knowledge and qualifications is vital to keep progressing in your career; however, finding the time to do this can be taxing. Thanks to technology we can listen to audiobooks while driving rather than trying to find the time to sit and read to educate ourselves. We have access to an endless stream of information and answers to our questions at the click of a button; but what about more in-depth training and studying?

Trying to fit a part-time course around a full-time job isn’t easy and if you have children, pets or parents to look after, or you have hobbies and friends to see, then studying for qualification can seem almost impossible. However, you don’t need to be put off, if you are determined, then it can be done, and you can do it from the comfort of your own home.

As the choice and caliber of online courses continues to improve, skepticism has subsided, and results have shown that online learning can be just as good as face-to-face education. Nearly three million students are currently enrolled in fully online programs, and six million people have opted for at least one online course as part of their degree. But is it for you?

Some of the benefits of online learning are obvious; it provides convenience and flexibility;  you can learn from your own home, in your own time and plan your study time around everything else. You save on travel time, and with all the course material accessible online, it’s not often that you’ll have to make a trip to the library. It enables you to have a healthier balance of work, life and study.

There is also less pressure from online courses as you don’t have to participate in class – something many students worry about. There are no class discussions, and while that might seem like a negative and something you’d miss out on, it allows for far more concentration.

To succeed in studying online, you have to be more self-disciplined which is never a bad thing. You would also have to be self-motivated and be able to manage your time which are all excellent skills to have.

There is also a more excellent choice of online courses than there is in face-to-face learning. You can go to any university in the country – and some cases even in other countries. You can study and earn a qualification from Colombia or Yale without ever having to go there physically; thus opening up a whole world of opportunity and access to courses you might never have dreamt of before.
It’s not even just the locations which widen the choices, but the topics and course lengths vary so much more online as well. For example, you could opt for an online MSW from Florida State University and choose from a two year or three-year course; you could even select a nurse midwife program. The choices are endless.