In light of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, more and more areas around the world are urging people to stay home as much as possible. Limiting your interaction with others is important, as it will help limit the spread of unwanted germs and decrease the chances of COVID-19 spreading further.
If you’re thinking about becoming a design student, you may have been battling the decision: Should I choose online courses, or a brick-and-mortar school?
Unfortunately, in-person classes (of ANY kind) are not the safest option right now. In fact, many physical schools have temporarily shut down as of late. As a result, their students are now left in a strange limbo where they’re unsure when they’ll be able to return. Many schools, where they can, are moving to online training. You’re just paying a lot more for it!
But just because we’re dealing with this pandemic, doesn’t mean you still can’t push forward with your career aspirations of being a professional designer! This is exactly why online design courses are so popular! During a time when you’re being urged to stay at home and away from other people, online design school is not only the safest way to learn right now – for many, it’s the only option.
How does online Design school work?
When it comes to online school, one area where many often hesitate is not fully understanding HOW one could possibly learn all they need to know from online courses. The assumption is that it will never be able to offer the same all-encompassing learning experience that in-person classes do. But this couldn’t be farther from the truth!
Firstly, online design schools will offer you the same extensive course options that a physical school would. There should be plenty of choices to pick from, depending on where your interests lie! QC Design School, for example, offers students the following online courses:
- Interior Decorating
- Feng Shui
- Professional Organizing
- Home Staging
- Staging for Designers
- Aging in Place
- Color Consulting, and
- A course where you can Accelerate Your Business!
There are a number of reasons why online design courses are just as beneficial as brick-and-mortar ones – perhaps even more so!
You get training from a working professional.
Both online and in-class design schools employ working experts in the field that have experience, certification(s), training of their own. You’re provided the assurance of knowing that your tutor is someone who knows their stuff!
For example, QC Design School has a full page devoted to helping students learn more about each tutor, their background, and their business. We do this because we know how important it is that students be assured that they’re being taught by the best!
You’re provided with current, extensive course materials.
Where brick-and-mortar design schools sometimes fall behind is that they can often rely on printed materials – some of which are old and outdated. Online schools, on the other hand, are constantly revising and updating their materials electronically, and providing them to students as such!
With online design schools, you’re ensured the same high-quality level of learning tools, but with the added promise that the techniques and theories being taught to you are as up-to-date as possible!
You get one-on-one mentoring and feedback.
In in-class courses, there are many students involved in the learning process. This means that it can sometimes be a bit more challenging to soak in every last detail the instructor is explaining, especially if they’re physically demonstrating something.
But with online Design courses, it’s just you and your tutor! In addition to books, image components, quizzes, and assignments, you’re also provided with videos that show some of the lessons in action. These videos allow you to always have a front-row seat with the best possible view, not to mention the ability to pause and replay, so you never miss any details!
At the end of each unit, you would submit your assignment(s). Your tutor is then able to take the proper time to review what you’ve given them, so they can put together an audio file of their feedback. Once in your possession, you can refer back to their feedback as much as needed in the future!
Importantly, your online tutor’s feedback is heavily customized to YOUR work (and your work alone)! They’ll be able to break down everything, from what you’re doing well to where you need improvement.
Why online Design school is currently safer than in-person courses
To build off everything we just covered, there are also perks to online Design schools that are extra beneficial when in the midst of a pandemic. When options are limited and your health is of the utmost importance, there are some ways in which online schooling is the only form of education at the moment that can best guarantee your safety.
You can do it from home.
This is the biggest one! If you were a student of a brick-and-mortar Design school, there’s a good chance your classes would be temporarily cancelled right now (or could potentially be in the near future). This could put your learning on pause until the situation with the coronavirus calms down in your area. Not to mention, if classes weren’t cancelled, you’d have to expose yourself to all sorts of people just to get to the campus and take your course.
If you’re currently worried about being around others and potentially catching something, this isn’t ideal. But on the flip side, if you’re a keen student who’s been enjoying your Design course, being forced to stop learning (for the time being) isn’t exactly great either.
Online Design school poses neither of these risks!
Because the entire program is catered to your convenience and can be done virtually anywhere, you can continue your studies uninterrupted, all from the comfort of your own home! You don’t need to worry about going outdoors when you don’t have to, commuting to and from school, or sitting in a classroom with someone who may be sick.
You can do it on your own time.
Furthermore, most online Design schools allow you to work entirely at your own schedule. This means no deadlines! A lot of people are being advised to stay home right now, and schools in a lot of places have shut down for a few weeks. If you don’t have other commitments, this gives you all the time in the world to focus on your studies!
But there are many who also have families and children. With the little ones also at home, it wouldn’t be fair (or realistic) to impose strict deadlines on students at a time like this. After all, you have a household to run, too!
QC, for example, provides as much flexibility as possible for students. You can work on your course whenever you have the time and pick up where you left off whenever your schedule allows it. So long as you finish everything before the 2-year window is up, how you complete your course is 100% your call!
How to choose the right online Design school
When considering any school, it’s important that you do lots of research first. Especially in the case of online schools, you want to be sure that you’re giving your money to an accredited, legitimate institution. After all, there are a lot of scammers out there! You need to be extra careful!
When researching online Design schools, keep an eye out for the following criteria:
- Is it recognized and registered with the Better Business Bureau? Does it have a good standing/rating? What other accreditation does it have?
- Reviews. This one is really important, too. Take the time to look into what others have said about this school. If the reviews are questionable or overly negative, you’re better off steering clear of them. A lot of bad reviews is a red flag! Don’t just check the school’s website, either; check their Facebook, Google, and whatever else you can find.
- School and tutor information. When reviewing the online school’s website, how much actual information does it provide you? Is there information about its instructors, history, learning process, etc.? The more information the school provides to you from the get-go, the more legitimate it’ll be.
- Course breakdowns and previews. The best online Design schools will SHOW you what you’ll be learning. They’ll try to be as transparent as possible, because they have nothing to hide! They should be trying to get you excited about learning at their school. This is why QC Design School’s courses all come with a course preview AND let you download a free Course Catalogue. If it feels like the school is being weirdly cryptic with their course information, it could mean there’s something shady going on.
- Student/Graduate success stories. While this one isn’t necessarily mandatory, if you can find an online Design school that proudly shows off it’s current students and alumni, that’s a good sign. It shows that not only is the school legit, it also has a good reputation of helping its students become working professionals in the field. This can be highlighted on the company’s website, its social media, or its blog – such as what QC Design School does!
Just because you’re being advised to stay at home right now DOESN’T mean you can’t still get started on your career goals! Online design schools not only let you learn from home, it’s also the only form of education right now that gives you the best chances of staying healthy.
Use this down-time to your advantage! Enroll in online design school today, and earn your professional certification in no time!
