For many people, the idea of studying online can be daunting. Nevertheless, remote learning has many appealing advantages that are highly complimentary to those with busy lifestyles. It can, however, be an isolating experience. Even though universities like Western Sydney University (WSU Online) provide interactive student hubs for engagement, students may skip online sessions and stay disconnected. Unlike on-campus learning, it is more challenging to find connection, friendship and belonging in an online learning environment. However, the flexibility of online learning allows you to make time to foster a community while still prioritising your studies.
With the introduction of highly accredited online degrees – like the ones offered by WSU Online – more and more students have found ways to make remote learning work for them. As an online student, you have a unique opportunity to fit your studies into your lifestyle. Students who attend WSU Online continue to work full-time jobs, pursue their side hustle, parent and even travel while gaining an online degree.
Study While Travelling With WSU Online
There are a plethora of benefits to studying at WSU Online. From flexible study to unmatched support, we offer students exactly what they need to gain a degree online. As a fully online university, we offer students the opportunity to study and travel. The normalisation and accessibility of remote learning has made it easier for students to travel and study. It allows many to fulfil their dreams of seeing the world while furthering their education. It’s a huge undertaking that takes planning, self-discipline and time management that you may struggle with, but if you can find that sweet spot, you can see the world while getting your degree.
In this blog post, we explore your options for studying and travelling with WSU Online. We also share some useful tips that will help you while travelling and studying.
Who Is Eligible?
WSU Online courses are only available to Australian citizens. These domestic students can study and travel but are required to do one teaching period within Australia.
To better understand your options, please get in touch with our Course Consultants.
What Courses Are Suitable For Study and Travel
WSU Online’s courses are designed to give you the maximum flexibility while acquiring your online qualification. We have therefore ensured that almost all of our courses are suitable for studying while travelling. The exception to this is our Bachelor of Nursing which requires students to do 240 hours of Professional Experience Placement.
Recommended Study Time While Travelling
If you choose to study and travel, we recommend doing one unit/10 study hours per week per teaching period. This will allow you to efficiently study while still enjoying your travels.
Contact our Course Consultants to figure out the most effective study load for your travels.
Tips For Studying and Travelling
Before you grab your passport and start your adventure, you must take into account the requirements needed to study while travelling. There are various essential things that you can do to ensure you don’t fall behind or miscalculate how much time you need to get your degree. To help you ace studying while travelling, here are a few useful tips:
1. Choose the Right Course
WSU Online offers a variety of courses that can seamlessly be done while travelling. The flexibility and convenience that our online learning platform offers allow you to study anytime, anywhere. You’ll have the benefit of accessing online classrooms with pre-recorded lectures and support services that will guide you through your study journey.
2. Create Your Perfect Study Setup
The chaos of travelling can sometimes be overwhelming, so you must make provision for your studies. Whether you’re in a hostel, travelling on a train or waiting for a flight at an airport, you should always be able to take these moments to study. Having the perfect study setup that includes the following should allow you to do so:
- A reliable internet connection. Whether a portable router or tethering to your phone, always ensure you can access your coursework online and do the required amount of work to get your degree.
- A laptop with an up-to-date operating system. It is a given that you need a laptop while studying and travelling, but ensure that it is running an up-to-date operating system. WSU Online requires all students to have one of the following operating systems on their machines: Mac: OS 11 Big Sur or a later version; PC: Windows 10 or a later version.
If you are unsure what system your device is operating on, use What’s My Browser to check.
- The correct accessories. Having headphones, speakers, a web camera, and a microphone that work correctly will elevate your online learning experience and allow you to study anywhere with ease.
- A functional web browser. Choosing a high-functioning web browser will make for a smoother online study experience. Download either Chrome or Firefox for faster page loading and overall streamlined usability.
- The correct software. Your course gives you access to a range of learning materials in all formats and sizes, including videos, audio files and PDFs. You will need to view these interactive course materials using: Adobe Reader for PDF files; VLC media player for all audio and video files
A perk of studying at WSU Online is that you’ll have access to Microsoft Office 365 for free via Student Advantage. You will have access to all your favourite programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and more.
3. Add Your Study Time to Your Travel Itinerary
Whether you spend a day in your hotel room studying or a couple of hours a day before sightseeing, schedule your study time into your travel itinerary. Knowing you need to dedicate 10 hours to study per week makes it easier to include it in your day. Finding the perfect balance between study and travel, that works for you, is essential. You should also have a backup plan for times when you can’t study due to travel delays.
4. Remain Focused
It’s easy to get distracted when travelling so ensure you have the self-discipline to actively study while adventuring. Studying while travelling is not easy, but if you remain focused you’re in for an incredible experience – seeing the world while gaining an accredited qualification from WSU Online.
Ready to travel and study? Learn more about our online courses here, or get in touch with our Course Consultants to discuss your options.