The COVID-19 pandemic is a significant problem in the United States, and it has affected health care, jobs, and education. For many students who are planning on pursuing higher education, attending classes in person and living on campus isn’t realistic right now. For this reason, online learning has become a popular option for continuing students.
If you’re a student pursuing an arts degree, you may be worried that online learning won’t be as fulfilling an experience as in-person education, but this doesn’t have to be the case. There are many options for achieving a degree in the arts online, and these tools and resources can help you make the most of your online education.
Finding the right online learning degree program
If you’re looking to earn a degree in art, media, or technology, you may feel that without the hands-on experience of in-person learning your education won’t be as gratifying. What you may not realize is there are schools out there that have specialized online degree programs, and they have years of experience in offering online education, so you won’t be missing out on anything.
Full Sail University is one school that does things differently. They provide students with accelerated programs for associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. Their online programs are immersive and allow students to make connections with their professors and one another, just like face-to-face learning. Full Sail University prioritizes professional development and hands-on experiences, which is why they have programs for online learning such as Project LaunchBox that give students the tools they need to learn about industry-specific technology and software.
Full Sail frames their curricula around the building blocks of your specific career field. This means that you will see your knowledge in your industry grow as you progress, and your professors will know exactly what you’ve already learned and what you still need to cover. Their instructors have years of experience with technology and online learning so as an online Full Sail student, you will still receive the same attention and direction as you would in an on-campus classroom.
Invest in your education
As a student working in art or media, it’s important to have the right technology and equipment to support your online education. If you are a digital artist or photographer you may find yourself struggling with photo storage. If you’re an online student in this situation, a good option for you is the IBI by Sandisk. IBI is a physical hard drive that works like the cloud for pictures. Whether you’re converting your photographs into digital or you’re completing editing projects in photoshop, your photo library can fill up pretty quickly. This is why IBI comes with 1tb of storage built-in.
IBI can connect to any of your devices, wirelessly or through a USB connection. This way you don’t have to worry about not having access to your photographs on your mobile device when they are saved on your computer. IBI also makes sharing with others easier. They offer a mobile app for your iPhone or Android device. This gives you full access to your photo library on the go, and it also lets you set up your sharing options. You can create your “inner circle” of friends and family that you wish. to individual photos or folders with digitally.
As a digital artist, you may also find that computer software doesn’t come cheap. Although this is true, you should think of it as an investment in your future. Not only will your courses most likely teach you the ins-and-outs of the programs, but you will also know how to apply your knowledge of the software to your career.
Manage your time wisely while online learning
One thing that many online students struggle with is time management. Often times with online learning, it is up to the student to be proactive and make their own schedule. If this is the case, you have to be self-motivated and dedicated to getting the work done. Finding ways to decrease potential distractions and having a spot just for working can help make it feel as if you are in a “real” class. The same can be said for making routines and setting a schedule to follow. Be sure not to overwork yourself. It’s important to take breaks and reward yourself for your hard work.
How do you learn?
Everybody learns and retains information differently. Sometimes online learning can make you feel as though you aren’t grasping the concepts as well, and this could be because it’s outside your style of learning. If you are a visual or kinesthetic learner, being distanced from your instructor and their visual aids and materials can feel like a hindrance to your education. It’s important to speak up and be honest with your teachers if something isn’t working for you.
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