Photo credits: Chris Montgomery via Unsplash
Online classes add freedom to the average student’s life. Sitting in a classroom feels like being stuck in a prison from dawn to dusk. College students can get stuck in a rut with the typical college involvement. With the help of online options,students can break free from the chains of college monotony. West Chester University students should have more online options.
Dedicating upwards of four years of life to completing a degree can seem like an enormous task. Getting a degree takes up alot of time in day to day life, from having a commute to campus, plus the trek across campus to make it to your classes on time. The classes take up a big part of the day, not to mention the homework that students will have to commit to for hours after the commute back. The time and effort seems daunting and inescapable when it comes to pursuing a degree. All of the stress and time commitments could be shed with the freedom that online classes grant. Online classes break the traditional mold of the typical school experience. According to Northeastern University, online learning has the advantages of flexibility and self-paced learning. This means that getting a degree does not have to take up all the time in the world. Students can also hold a job, take care of their family, and enjoy some free time, all while pursuing a career.
Missing the experience of living on campus might be a dealbreaker for some when it comes to choosing between online learning and the traditional college experience. A lot of college students enjoy the college campus atmosphere and would be against not getting the full college experience. Yet living on campus comes with disadvantages. The cost of attendance is one of the biggest drawbacks for staying at college. Money is one of the most important factors when it comes to attending a college. According to an article on eLearning Industry, lower costs is one of the biggest benefits that makes online options a great convenience for students, just like the ones attending West Chester. Without the need to pay for on-campus housing, online school options are much more budget-friendly for those who cannot afford the full cost of a traditional four-year college. This makes the online option the obvious choice compared to the on-campus style schooling.
Those who deal with certain learning disabilities might find that online learning is a better environment for them compared to a traditional classroom. The University of St. Augustine (USAHS) found that it is easier to concentrate while in an online environment. Without the distractions of a typical classroom like other students, noises, lights and teachers who are too fast to follow online classes can help put at ease students who have a hard time concentrating. This can be something that those with disabilities, and those without, can both appreciate.
With school also comes school-related stress. USAHS also found that another benefit of online learning is reduced stress. At this point, more than just USAHS has done a study in regards to the amount of stress that schools generate for the students that are trying to get an education. Schooling institutions and the professors they employed throughout the pandemic have worked hard to help students adapt to the online atmosphere. They have worked hard to create these productive stress-free environments. Why not continue and expand on these innovations that help reduce the stress of students that go to West Chester University?
All the benefits that online learning provides students with should be an incentive to implement the availability of more online learning options for West Chester University students. Online learning options would be a good implementation into the already highly-rated college. If West Chester University wants the best for their students, they should make getting a degree completely achievable online.
Gabriella D’Ambrosio is a fourth-year transfer Media & Culture major. GD979662@wcupa.edu