Top five advantages of online learning

I am now halfway into my second term studying a Master’s in Sport & Exercise nutrition. Despite what people may think about online studying, I do not feel like my learning has been compromised, in fact, I have found quite a few advantages:

1. I have so much more time! I don’t have to get up hours before my lectures to commute to university. I can honestly say I now get 8+ hours of sleep each day. Furthermore, in the evenings instead of being cramped on a bus all cold and wet to try and get home, I can invest that time into ‘me time’. This for me is doing some exercise, stretching, reading a book, listening to music, or learning a new hobby.
2. I have learned new technology skills. For years now the importance of media and technology has become prominent in our society. I have never really had time to learn anything in this field but now I have had to. I have become more confident in using different social media platforms, apps, and websites to facilitate my learning. These are skills I know will be vital for my future career.
3. More opportunities. In the nutrition field, practitioners have been able to offer online internships at an increasing rate. This has allowed students to gain industry experience from professionals that could be on the other side of the country, without the financial burden of having to relocate. I can also engage in wider range of opportunities because they are remote, which means that location is not a limiting factor!
4. Saved money! This has been a huge advantage for me. I have been fortunate to be able to move back home with my parents, allowing me to save a lot of money each month on things like rent and bills. Due to all teaching being online, I have been able to eliminate commuting, which has saved me money (and lots of time!)
5. I have learnt the importance of discipline. Organisation is key to being successful this year, and I have been treating my studies like a full-time job. Having the discipline to get up at a reasonable time on the mornings I have no lectures, but also knowing when to put down my pen and make time for myself.

On the other hand, let’s think about what it must be like teaching for our lecturers! We all dread having to turn our camera on, imagine how lecturers feel when they have no option (I am sure we have all fallen victim to attending online lectures in our pyjamas!) It does not go unnoticed the effort that lecturers are having to put into this new way of teaching. Particularly for my course, I feel our lecturers have gone above and beyond to ensure we are getting a quality education, and we’ll be ready to join the workforce in September just as students from previous years.

Overall, online teaching has been a massive learning opportunity and has taught me various skills that will benefit me in my future career. Yes, there have been challenges, but this has taught me to be adaptable and come up with practical solutions. I feel fortunate to be able to continue my studies, delivered in such good quality, despite the global pandemic.