Should you learn to code online or register for an on-campus program?
Most programming schools in Kenya offer a face-to-face experience to students. Hence, if you have never registered for an online course, you may be hesitant to register for one.
We understand the hesitation. Some online schools do not always deliver their promise.
However, you cannot run from the reality that we are living in a digital era.
Employers now recognize online courses and the subsequent certification.
You must also appreciate the fact quitting your job or your current study program is costly in the current economic times.
Studying online has many benefits as outlined below:
1. Flexible schedule
If you enroll for a traditional degree or diploma program, you have to report to school within the specified period.
Sometimes you have only one class that falls in the middle of the day
In other words, you have to schedule your life around the school timetable, which can change at any time.
You know how tutors come up with classes to make up for a missed lesson in the middle of the week?
Learning to code online helps you to keep your schedule and learn at the same time.
For instance, Allenhark Digital offers evening online lessons. You can work or run your business all day and then join the online class.
2. Learning from experts
Many coding experts are not interested in an education degree.
They want to keep creating solutions but still pass on their skills to the next generation of software engineers.
This is not to say that the tutors in traditional programming schools in Kenya are not qualified.
Enrolling in an online coding course gives you access to experts with experience in the real market.
3. Reduced costs
The tuition fee for most online lessons is often the same as the fee charged for on-campus courses.
Institutions charge the same fee because the quality of education offered online is the same as that offered in a classroom setting.
Hence, when we talk of reduced costs, we are not necessarily talking about tuition fees.
Think about the cost of commuting to class every day, especially if the school is far.
Consider also the cost of lunch and the time you spend in traffic to and from class.
The cost of learning from your house is the internet charge, which you might incur anyway even without the lesson.
Another consideration is the possibility of comparing costs and identifying a coding school within your budget.
4. Networking opportunities
When you are in a classroom setting, your connections are limited to the number of students in that class.
You rarely interact with other students because of varying school timetables
When you learn to code online, you have opportunities to network with students from all over the world.
Tutors will often create workgroups consisting of students in different locations.
You interact with other programmers beyond the normal working hours and learn faster.
Do we need to mention the opportunities to share new job openings among online students?
5. Interaction with tutors
We know the situation in most educational institutions. One tutor has hundreds of students to teach and mentor every week.
You hardly have enough time to ask questions or interact with the tutor.
Online tutors are more flexible in offering personalized coaching or advice.
Sometimes you learn one-on-one and have all the time to clarify any hard subject matter at that time.
Software engineering is not a walk in the park. Direct interactions with experts will save you time and help you learn fast.
6. Comfortable learning environment
You set the learning environment when learning to code online.
Some people prefer their homes or offices while others will go to a quiet library when the coding lesson starts.
You make the decision on the most comfortable location.
You do not have to be at the same location all the time.
Any safe location with a stable internet connection is good enough, including outdoors.
Can learning get better than that?
7. Advancing your career
Here is the system that most people have been accustomed to for years.
You complete your primary and high school education, get a college education and then look for a job.
Consequently, thousands have one degree, which is sometimes is in a field they do not like.
If you have a basic education in software engineering or programming, it is time to advance.
The job opportunities that you access highly depend on your level of education.
You cannot go higher in your career ladder with the same certificate.
When you learn to code online, you create opportunities to advance your career within a short time.
Think about this. You know how to create Android apps perfectly.
You can advance to other platforms like iOS or cross platforms and take a web design course at the same time.
8. Variety of courses and programs
Sometimes colleges are slow in upgrading their course structures.
Hence, students learn the same things for decades despite the changes in the job market.
Learning online exposes you to a variety of courses and programs with different curricula.
You can choose the course or program that best suits your career objective.
In addition, you can choose a program based on the languages. If are already an expert in Javascript, pick a course with a different programming language to grow.
In the same way, you can pick a program based on the duration and lesson times.
At Allenhark Digital, you can learn to code online within 10-12 weeks.
9. Learning self-discipline
Here is the part that most students are afraid of, time management.
A classroom setup keeps you disciplined, especially when they are consequences for missing a lesson.
That is good enough but when will you ever learn self-discipline?
One thing with coding is that it takes hours of work each day to complete a project.
Truth be told. You cannot survive in this field without self-discipline.
The best time to take responsibility and learn self-discipline is during the learning process.
You will be glad when you start working on long projects that demand your focus or concentration for hours.
10. Continuing with your profession
Simply put, you do not have to quit your current job or profession to learn how to code.
We appreciate the fact that a career change is a huge leap.
However, you need to do it systematically. Learn online while continuing with your current profession.
You can take the leap after completing your online courses.
In fact, you can run the two professions until you start earning enough as a programmer.
Conclusion
If you choose to learn to code online, you must be prepared to stay disciplined until the course is over. The good thing is that if programming is your passion, you will always look forward to the lesson. In addition, if you choose the right coding school, learning will be fun. Consider the benefits and take the first step. Contact us today.
