Life as a Distance Learning Student

Traditionally, most people find the norm in education to involve lectures in physical classrooms.  Tutor-student interaction is perceived as being only physical.  With innovations, virtual learning has been introduced with varying degrees of success. However, lots of students, and potential students, find virtual learning both difficult and inadequate. To this group, combining student life with work and other commitments is no small feat. Self-motivation and managing distractions represent significant challenges to the distance student.  Again, this is largely due to the traditional expectations that learning should be restricted to the four walls of a physical classroom.

Motivation and Teamwork

As a first-time distance learning student, my experience thus far and from an informal interview with a friend (also on a distance learning program) has been informative.  With the flexibility we have, study can be self-paced and the ability to interact with classmates from different parts of the world without having to incur travel costs or work capabilities make it more interesting and enlightening. The key, however is “motivation”. Some students are supported financially by employers and family, but what all distance-learning students must have in common is a passion for their subject and a commitment to self-studying.