Masters degree online students gain their diploma after several years of determined studying. This type of education is now very popular for its practical advantages, but this does not mean it has no disadvantages. Certain aspects of it, such as the absence of instructors, could be issues for some people.
Online Masters degrees are now offered far and wide. Some major universities, even, have started to offer their own distance learning courses. This means distance education is now more the norm than an exception.
There are challenges to this form of education, as mentioned earlier, such as the lack of competitive energy. Whether students or teachers admit it or not, there is competition going on in the classroom in which students ceaselessly try to outdo each other. Such competitiveness can yield powerful results.
Clean competition pushes participants to be better at what they do. They engage in strong studying just so they can be the better student. The consequence is that the learners become more dynamic and ever-improving.
Classmates bounce off each other and “feed” off each other’s competitive spirits. This is not present in the Internet-facilitated program, however. There is something to the physical absence of competitors that does not permit the student to feel them, even when they exist and try to communicate over the Web.
The opponent in this race, then, must necessarily be the only person present in this type of education: the student himself. This can actually be positive, as it is the sort of thing you have to learn to do once you begin to work. Your yardstick is yourself, so your previous performance is what you need to beat.
Another challenge is the absence of a teacher, mentor or guidance counselor. The online Masters student should know what he wants and how to get it. He doesn’t need any supervision and should not make any excuses if he misses any deadline, does not complete an assignment or does not pass the self-examinations.
The ability to act on one's own power and under one's own will and determination is vital in Internet programs. The online learner is someone who is self-motivated, which means that he cannot afford to draw his motivation from other persons. Often, doing these may involve additional research and side-reference studies.
The programs typically demand excellent time management skills as well. This is in fact why many end up in Web-based courses. You are thus expected to know how to manage your time well for yourself.
In some cases, students will be required to set a specific time to accommodate online chat-room discussions, live video streaming, and real-time webinars. These little departures from the flexibility of the course cannot be left out. While this may seem tedious at first, just keep in the mind that the masters degree online has excellent returns later on.
