Love is in the air at NEC. Valentine’s day inspired a chat in the office about all the things we love about online and distance learning courses. Here are our top ten reasons to love online and distance learning:

1. Enrol at any time.

Motivation comes and goes, so if you have a flash of inspiration in February to get that GCSE Maths that eluded you at school, you don’t want to wait until September to enrol. You can enrol whenever you like on an online, distance learning course.

2. Study whenever you want.

Set classes don’t always fit in with your schedule. If you’re a shift worker for example, you might not have a regular free evening each week. So why not study whenever you like, whether that is 3am or 3pm, you can set your own timetable.

3. Study wherever you want.

Whether it’s at home, at work or while you’re travelling you can study anywhere you like. This makes distance learning accessible to people who otherwise might not be able to study, perhaps a naval officer serving on a submarine or an offender serving a custodial sentence.

4. Choice.

There’s a wide range of courses available online. At NEC alone you can study anything from Art History to Physics. If you’re not looking for qualifications or support, but want to learn more about something that interests you, you might be able to find a free course online.

5. Gain new skills.

If you’re planning on going onto university, independent study skills will be essential. Distance and online learning helps you to develop these in a supported and structured way, so you’ll finish your course with a new set of skills as well as the course!

6. A more diverse peer group.

If you have the opportunity to interact with students on the same course as you, this can be a rich and rewarding experience. Imagine a group made up of people from around the world, all with different experiences. Forums are an excellent feature of NEC courses.

7. Take it at your own pace.

You may need to take the course quickly, or life might get in the way, meaning that you’ll need to take break from your studies. The flexibility of distance learning means that you’re in control of the pace of study.

8. You get a second chance.

If you didn’t get the grades you wanted the first time round, online and distance learning gives you another chance. Perhaps maths GCSE didn’t seem important at age 16, but now you’re thinking of retraining as a teacher, it’s essential.

9. Study at any age.

There is no set age to study. At NEC we have students aged from 9 to 86. From law to Spanish, you’re never too old to learn something new!

10. Build your confidence.

If you’ve been out of study for a while and feel daunted by jumping back in. An online or distance learning course can help you get you gain confidence in your abilities.

What do you love about distance learning, has it changed your life? Let us know on social media or comment below.