Arguably, one of the biggest benefits to online and distance learning is the freedom it allows students to study at a time and place that best suits their needs. For eighteen year old Andrew who lives in East Asia, this benefit was a huge help when balancing his education alongside family commitments.

“I have quite a lot of family obligations, such as babysitting and chores. I study mostly in the daytime, sometimes at night when I’m free.” 

When diving into how Andrew manages his study around other areas of responsibility, he replied: “It’s hard to say, sometimes you just need encouragement to continue. I work hard when I can, but somehow just rest (sometimes for months, even two or three) when the situation is difficult for me. 

Andrew encourages other students in the same position to: “Forgive yourself at that time and tell yourself things will get better at some point, and you can keep on studying.”

For students who find themselves trying to balance many areas of their life, online course tutors are incredibly important and strive to support students where possible. We asked Andrew for his views on NEC tutors and the service received, to which he positively replied: “Yes, they were helpful at answering questions (many thanks to Jane, Amanda, Prof. Pearson and Jonathan!), as English is not my first language, I still have to use Google a lot to find some meanings of some of the terms.”

“I suggest students who don’t speak English as their first language take account of the language difficulty when planning their study schedule. For example, sometimes it is suggested that one hour is needed to study the topic, but it might take me three. But when I come back to review it, it may take me just 30 minutes. Practice makes perfect!”

Regardless of any language difficulties, Andrew was happy to share that online learning was a great and useful educational tool stating: “By homeschooling, I don’t have to try to fit myself into an environment that I’m not comfortable with. I can fulfil my family obligations, while not needing to follow a school-designed schedule.”

Of course, with this type of study, mental health is always something to keep at the forefront of our mind due to differences between online education and traditional education settings. Thankfully, Andrew was positive when sharing with us that his mental health has not suffered, in fact: “It gives me some time to relax so I don’t have to go to school and socialise with some people I don’t enjoy talking to.” With the biggest benefit to online study being: “freedom!”.

If Andrew’s experience has inspired you to explore online learning and you’d like to know more about NEC, get in touch today by calling 0800 389 2839 or send us an email.

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