Why more and more college students are taking online classes - Essay Example

Why More and More College Take Online es Increased Online es Trend among College The trend of taking online classes has considerable increased among the college students over the last few years. The survey report conducted by Pearson Foundation reported that 61% of students have taken online course at least for one time. One in five college students use to take at least one online classed whereas the rate of enrolment for online classed has also increased by 13% this year whereas the experts predict further increase in this rate over the last few years.

These statistics unveiled that the students considerably prefer to take online classes due to number of benefits offered by the online courses and classes (Pearson Foundation, 2010). Most of the students use to take online classes when they faced difficulty in scheduling the needed classes due to their busy routines of being full time workers, older, married or having responsibilities of children and other family members (Pearson Foundation, 2010). Students sometimes also failed to get enrolled due to overbooked or closed session and then take online classes.

It is due to wide array of benefits associated with online courses that the college students are widely turning towards online classes.Online classes offer high level of flexibility and it became easily possible for the students to schedule their classes from their homes or any other place when they get time to spend on the studies. Like real colleges, they don’t have to take time for going colleges neither they have to think about travelling towards college to avoid missing the class at specific time (Schworm, 2008).

The college students are also widely taking online classes due to the availability of wide array of options regarding the selection of courses, subjects, diplomas and degree programs. They have many choices in front of them and can choose any one of their interest regardless of physical presence of the college near their place. The online classes often offer lower tuition rates as compared with the fee of many traditional colleges. The students don’t have to spend on buying text books because most of the online classes do not require students to buy books but they provide material through EBooks or other online resources like downloadable lectures, notes, assignments and reading material etc.

In the way the overall expenses of the studies became lower and it became easy for the students to manage their studies with even lower budgets (Schworm, 2008).Online classes allow choosing the study timing according to the convenience. The college students can easily plan their study hours. They can decide to study in morning or at night according to their convenience and wish. In this way, the stress of managing work and classes at same time is reduced from the students and became able to attain balance between work and study.

The college students found it more relaxing to take online classes that suit their time tables and routines. Generally the online classes also allows students flexible timing for the completion of assignment that is usually not allowed in traditional colleges. The students are generally given long and flexible deadlines and they can easily work on the assignment keeping in view their time and schedules.Hence, it is found that there are wide ranges of benefits associated with online classes due to which the college students widely prefer to have online classes for their studies.

The flexibility of choosing study time and subject, source and degree program made online classes an ideal choice in the multi tasked and busy lives of the students. They prefer online classes because they have to spend less and don’t have to comprise their jobs and daily routines for attending the classes in the traditional colleges. ReferencesPearson Foundation (2010). Community College Student Survey Summary of Results. Retrieved online from http://www.pearsonfoundation.org/downloads/Community_College_Survey_Summary_201102.

pdfSchworm, P. (2008). College students flocking to online classes, The Boston Globe, November 13, 2008. Retrieved online from http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/11/enrollment_in_o.html