Campus Vs E-Learning: What’s the Best for University Students? 

Our globalized world offers numerous opportunities to young people who want to continue their graduate or post-graduate education. Choosing the right university is only part of the equation, the form of study is the other part, which is no less significant. 

Students can decide to choose a university in their own country or abroad with the intention to experience a different culture and way of living along with gaining new skills and knowledge. Whether to attend that university in person or to enroll in an online form of study can be a choice that depends on several factors and budget is one of them. While the monetary side can be the turning point in many cases, the quality of education and the realization possibilities are perhaps of a greater importance. 

In order to decide whether campus or online learning is the best option for you, it is good to have a look at some factors that are often not that obvious.  

Some myths associated with online learning 

Despite that distance learning has been established quite a long time ago – back in the 1840s when Isaac Pitman taught shorthand (now known as stenography) in Great Britain via correspondence, there are still a few myths associated with that type of education. 

There are two most common misconceptions when it comes to university students and e-learning: 

1. Online learning is easier than campus learning 

Many people believe that the fact that your physical presence is not required on campus means that you will not have to put so much time and effort into getting your diploma. The truth can’t be further away from this belief.  

The distance courses offered by the universities demand the same amount of attention and dedication as those carried out on campus. At the end of the day, the student will receive the same diploma and should be able to demonstrate the same amount of knowledge and skills in order to be competitive on the market.  

In some cases, students even find online courses more demanding since there is a great amount of self-discipline that needs to be imposed. It is your motivation to learn that helps you succeed with all the tasks given by the instructors. 

2. Online learning does not provide personal interaction 

While it is true that members of an online course do not meet physically in one room, it doesn’t mean that they do not interact actively with one another. Technology development means that you have access to both synchronous and asynchronous learning. In the first case all the teaching takes place in real team. The students and the instructor are usually in a virtual classroom actively exchanging ideas, answering questions and discussing topics of interest. In addition to that there might be chats and/or video conference calls to further facilitate the learning process. Many university professors also offer virtual office hours and students can reach them via Skype or other methods. 

The asynchronous aspect of online learning is when the lecturers are pre-recorded or there is some other teaching material that can be downloaded and viewed by the student at any time, they are available to do it.  

There are also some programs which include blended learning – this means that students are required to spend some time on campus. This can be for couple of days or weeks per year and can be included to some specific lab exercises or other hands-on experience provided by the teaching institution.  

Why free online courses are a good idea? 

When it comes to enhancing their qualification, students may also choose to enroll into some additional free online courses. This, actually, is quite a good idea because nowadays free is not a synonym of low quality. On the contrary, many organizations and well-established universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Cambridge, Harvard University, Yale, Columbia University, John Hopkins University, Stanford University offer free courses.  

They use different materials in the form of texts, audio and video files, images and even life-streaming videos to deliver a high-quality content. Choosing professional e-learning localization services, means that the courses are available to students from all over the world regardless of the language they speak or use for their studies.  

Benefits of traditional learning  

While the greatest benefit of online learning is the flexibility it offers, traditional campus learning should not be underestimated as well. There are numerous benefits to attending a university on person and here are just a few of them: 

• Personal experience 

While online communication offers different channels to keep in touch with your peers and instructors, there is nothing that can be compared to the actual personal interaction. You can learn a lot by communicating directly with the other students and the professors and campus life is a valuable experience for any young person. 

Getting personally involved with the given projects and tasks is also very useful for the practical skills a student acquires while at the university.  

• Independence  

While there are certain costs incurred with moving to another place to study (no matter if within your country or abroad) it also gives you the chance to learn how to independently run your life. It is part of growing up and becoming a responsible adult while acquiring knowledge and skills to help you succeed in life.  

• Access to library and other university resources 

The university library gives you access to tons of research materials that can help you with completing a given project. It is also a place where you can work on your own or collaborate with your peers, exchanging ideas and information.  

• More study opportunities  

Despite that e-learning is quite popular not all majors are offered online. Some specialties that include labs, clinical practice or performance are not suitable for distance learning and require hands-on experience. So, if you have an idea to be a scientist, a health care worker or a theater performer, for example, campus learning is the only form that suits your interests.  

Both campus and online learning have their pros and cons and depending on the specialty you have chosen, can be the best option for your personal situation. Always consider all sides of the issue prior to taking a decision which form of study is the right for you. Do your research and select what appeals to you without paying attention to myths associated with both traditional and online learning.