Alternative Ways To Study A College Degree

When thinking of going to college – or when helping your kids to choose a college course – it’s worth exploring all your options. Many people don’t realize that there are many ways to study a degree. Here are just a few alternative ways to get a college degree and the benefits that each of them can offer. 

Study Aboard

Can’t decide between going to college and seeing the world? Studying abroad gives you the exciting experience of living in another country whilst getting an education. It can also have other advantages – courses abroad are often cheaper with some countries such as Germany even offering free courses. If you’re studying a foreign language, a course abroad could be perfect for immersing you in the language. That said, many courses are conducted in English, so you don’t have to worry about being bilingual.

Study Online

You don’t have to attend a campus to get a degree. There are now lots of online courses that you can study from home in your own time. In fact, there are even masters courses such as this masters in reading education online. An online course could be perfect if you have commitments such as looking after children or a full-time job that you’d like to keep. These courses can also save costs.

Studying online is also cheaper. That is, one does not have to pay for campus housing or meals. Besides, you will also not incur traveling expenses. Another thing to save on is purchasing books. You can download cheaper books or buy them at a lower price. You will also study in the comfort of your house or room without distractions. However, doing so requires you to be highly motivated to avoid slacking and missing lessons. Another reason to study online is that you can do so at any geographic location. Since you will be using your laptop or tablet to study, you can carry it with you anywhere.

With this, you can access a top tier institution that is out of your reach without relocating. To top it all, studying online can advance your technical skills. You will learn how to operate a computer, conduct in-depth research, how to use different kinds of software, and more. These advantages can provide you an answer if you ask yourself, should I go to college?

Take an accelerated course

If three years sounds like too long to study for a degree and you’re eager to get out into the working world, you could always try an accelerated course – these can be completed in two years (some can even be completed in one year). You should bear in mind that such courses tend to be a lot more intensive given that the same amount of coursework and examination is crammed into a shorter period of time. 

Take a sandwich course

A sandwich course usually involves three years of study with a year of work experience in the middle (usually the third year). Sandwich courses such as this marketing sandwich course are great for increasing one’s job prospects. Some courses will be able to arrange the work placement for you, whilst others will require you to secure this yourself. You could even impress employers enough to get a full-time position at your work placement company once you’ve graduated. 

Take an employer-sponsored course

There are sponsored courses out there that could allow you to study for free (no student debt!). These courses are often offered by employers – once you graduate, you can then work for that employer’s company. This gives you a secured job to go into once you’ve graduated. These sponsored opportunities are rare and as a result very competitive – you’ll likely need to pass several interviews with the employer to ensure that you’re the right fit for the company and that you’re capable of completing the three year courses that they’re paying for. As your bound to then work for that company, these opportunities may also be unsuitable for those that want to keep their employment options open after graduation. 

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