7 Benefits To Studying Online That You May Not Have Considered Before

Say hello to you studying on your own time — and living your best life.

If you dream of a study schedule that has baked-in flexibility and won't make you quit your day job — your dreams could definitely be your reality.

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Studying online is the new frontier of work-study-life balance, giving you the opportunity to choose your hours of studiousness.

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If you've considered it, but haven't yet committed, allow me — an online studier — to convince you of all its glory.

1. First up, you can remain employed (yes, even full-time!) thanks to the flexibility of online study. A common downside to study is committing to frugality (hello instant noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner). Flexible study means you can work your 9 to 5 and do your schooling after-hours, when it suits you. Study, up-skill and get that bread.

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For example, future business aficionados can grind away at their office job during the day and study at night to become the management professional they're destined to be. ACU's online Master of Business Administration is 100% online and designed for busy professionals looking to up-skill. 

2. You'll never attend an inconveniently-timed lecture ever again. With online study, all lectures and tutorials are recorded to watch at a time that suits you.

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Say goodbye forever to lecture clashes, sprinting across campus to make it to another lecture and back-to-back lectures with no breaks in between.

3. You'll also have countless opportunities to grow your professional network without pesky geography getting in the way — let alone being limited to collaborating with future colleagues and friends based on who's physically present on campus.

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Do not underrate this online study perk! It's important for most degrees, but especially for anyone looking to change into a teaching career, or even to up-skill in teaching. Teachers need a wide network of colleagues to share resources with and collaborate on teaching strategies! Studying online instantly opens your network to be Australia-wide, rather than just the people in your tutorial. ACU offers completely online Bachelor of Education (Primary and Secondary), Master of Teaching (Secondary) and Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary) courses in which you can experience these opportunities for yourself.

As an added bonus, you can even network in your pyjamas.

4. You'll also hone your time management skills. Studying online offers great flexibility, but with extra free time it can be tempting to procrastinate. Online study teaches you how to manage your time effectively by choosing a study schedule that works for you and sticking to it!

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Time management is an essential skill in whichever career path you choose. Nurses especially need to be time management experts in order to prioritise duties like patient care, education and administration effectively. ACU offers a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing for existing nurses to up skill their practice and you guessed it, it's 100% online!

5. You can choose your own study environment. It might be your bed, the kitchen table, the library or your local park. On-campus students live in 2022, online students live in the future.

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The options are truly endless — I've even been known to listen to lectures while at the gym — and each and every single one of them beats a freezing lecture theatre where you'll spend the whole time wishing you brought a second jumper. And a warm snack. 

6. You'll potentially save some cash. Depending on your field of study, online courses can be offered for a cheaper price than traditional in-person courses. If you're looking to up skill without copping a hefty HECS debt, online study may be the way to go — all while maintaining educational quality. A no-brainer, really.

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Save money AND watch tutorials from the comfort of your couch? What sorcery is this?

The kind that only completely online study faciliates. 

7. Finally, your online study support system is far more accessible than in a bricks and mortar degree. Lecturers in online degrees tend to be available via email and phone or video calls to help you when you need it, including outside of normal business hours.

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They understand returning to study can be overwhelming and they are genuinely approachable and responsive, far more than any of my in-person lecturers ever were. They get it, y'all.

Support from your lecturers is so important, especially when juggling work and study. They're supremely qualified, they know their stuff and they are so willing to help you (useful to know if your undergrad self would not have thought this was possible). 

For example, ACU offer an online Master of Social Work (Qualifying) taught by leading practitioners and academics and they're all here for you to pick their brain. INCREDIBLE. 

So what are you waiting for? If you're ready to take the leap, head to ACU Online to check out the courses they have on offer and begin your online study journey.

You will definitely thank yourself later.