Aussies Are Sharing Why They Chose To Study Uni Online And It Has Me Considering A Career Change

"Who wouldn't choose that flexibility?"

If you've been finding yourself growing tired of your day-to-day and want to be inspired by something new — you've come to the right place. The path to online study sure sounds like an appealing one, but sometimes you're simply not sure about the logistics.

Pexels / Via pexels.com

Well, there's no better way of getting a clearer idea of what's right for you than to hear directly from those who've done it before.

As someone who recently returned to online study, I sat down with a bunch of other Aussies to hear about their experiences with online learning — here's what they had to say:

1. Flexibility, flexibility, flexibility. Choosing to study online is choosing to give yourself the gift of flexible study hours. When you study is up to you!

Pexels / Via pexels.com

If there was one resounding answer from everyone we spoke to, it was this one.

Alice, 28, works full-time and lives out of home. For her, physically attending uni classes was not an option. 

"Because I need to work full-time to afford my living expenses, I needed a study option that allowed me to keep my job while getting qualified. Studying online has been such a blessing because I can fit study in around my work schedule," Alice said. "Who wouldn't choose that flexibility?"

2. You can choose from a wider range of programs and institutions! Online study gives you access to a bunch of degrees that may not be available to you locally. Forget choosing between the four universities in your area, why not choose from all over Australia?

ACU / Via universitiesaustralia.edu.au

Julia, 26, studies online through a university based outside of her home state of NSW. For her, they offered the kind of flexibility she struggled to find at bricks-and-mortar universities closer to home. 

"Unfortunately, a traditional in-person uni was never going to fit with my work schedule, so I did some research," she said. "Turns out, there are unis in other states with excellent online study options and more programs to choose from. So that's what I did!"

If a career in social work is for you, ACU's Online’s Master of Social Work is perfect. Fully accredited and fully online — aside from two 10-day components across the program — it's an easy decision for anyone looking to ditch the rigidity of bricks-and-mortar unis to begin their social work career. 

3. You can study from your bed, the couch, the park, the library, an aeroplane, or even the gym. With online study, forget sitting in a freezing lecture theatre for hours on end! Instead, watch that lecture on the couch, in your pajamas, with a cup of tea. I think yes.

Pexels / Via pexels.com

Eddy, 25, is a shift worker and takes full advantage of being able to choose his study environment. 

"When time is tight between shifts, I've been known to pop a lecture on while I jog on the treadmill," Joe laughed. "It's efficient and I'm a good multi-tasker. Works for me!"

Time management is an important skill for most careers, but especially for teachers. Teachers are notoriously time poor and need to manage their little time out of the classroom effectively! If you're considering becoming a career-change-teacher, ACU Online's Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary) will prepare you for all of this and more. And the best part is, it's 100% online!

4. Generally, online courses are more cost-effective. Because they don't need to include the usual overheads associated with physically attending a campus, online degrees are often cheaper than their bricks and mortar counterparts.

Pexels / Via pexels.com

This is something that Seb, 23, couldn't ignore when considering his study options. 

"I ended up choosing to study online because sure, the flexibility is great, but also because my degree was thousands of dollars cheaper than its on-campus counterpart," he said. "Nobody likes debt, and I've managed to minimise mine right from the outset. It's been a massive win."

Another one for the future teachers, ACU Online's Bachelor of Education (Primary and Secondary) starts at a cost of $5497 CSP for your first year. When you consider that, at other universities, the first-year cost for this same degree is closer to $10K, that is literally thousands of dollars that you could save by studying online with ACU. 

5. Finally, the networking opportunities span the entire country, rather than the familiar pond of fish you'd expect from going to a local university.

Pexels / Via pexels.com

This is a big perk for Lucy, 29, who values having a network of professional contacts whom she can call on as needed. 

"With my work, it's really helpful to have a bunch of industry contacts who are going through the same things," she said. "With online study, my contacts are all over Australia working in different places. While we all graduated a few years ago, we're still in touch now!"

Nursing is one profession where a network of contacts can help you out of a jam. Being able to draw on people who have had different nursing experiences to you, and therefore different knowledge, is invaluable in a profession that's ever-changing! ACU Online's Graduate Certificate of Clinical Nursing is a 100% online course that will present you with opportunities to build your professional network without pesky borders getting in the way. 

So, what are you waiting for? Head to ACU Online to check out their range of courses and start the first day of your new, flexible life.

Pexels / Via pexels.com

POV: You, after signing up for a course that inspires you.