Here at Flatiron School, our mission is to change lives through education — something that’s truer now more than ever. As more and more people are changing careers, sometimes it’s tough to juggle your current job with learning the skills you need to make the switch. That’s why online learning is so important. It provides the flexibility that full-time learning in person or on a campus doesn’t.
But there also other reasons to spend your extra time learning online.
Below, Lead Instructor Graham Beale — our resident remote learning expert — who teaches the online portion of our London UX/UI Design program from his home in Gloucestershire, shares his top 5 reasons to learn remotely, as well as some tips and tricks for learning from home.
1. You’ll be spending your time more productively
For whatever reason, occasionally we look at our working lives and wonder, what if? What if I did something different as my day job? Would it be more enjoyable, would I be more passionate about my purpose and of course… could I increase my earning potential?
Graham's Home Workspace
It’s usually difficult to make space to stop and reflect on the big questions. If you’re finding yourself with more alone time than usual, now’s a great time to reassess, reset, and launch yourself on an exciting new path.
Learning remotely is a smart choice to use your free time, and change your life for the better.
2. Develop expertise in remote collaboration tools and meet people!
Learning remotely at Flatiron School does not mean learning alone. We use collaboration tools such as Slack, Zoom and Loom, so your experience of learning online will feel connected and personable. You’ll meet like-minded people and become inspired by diversity, which will both encourage and challenge your thinking.
Organisations across the world are moving at pace towards remote working. There are benefits to businesses who can cast the net wide to find the best talent, and reduce operating costs. And there are significant advantages to employees with flexibility, reduced commute time and opportunities to work for exciting global businesses beyond your commutable area. Studying remotely with Flatiron School means you’ll get real experience in remote team working and collaboration, and put yourself in a great position to get hired.
3. Make your coffee…the way you like it
There is no doubt…. you have to be in the right frame of mind to learn. In many ways, there’s no better place to learn than your own home. Think about it. Your own comfortable surroundings — tea, coffee, food, slippers (OK, I joke about the slippers) or any other beverage of your choice, the way you like it. You can fine tune your environment to learn.
Coffee is an art form
True story: when I started at Flatiron School as a Lead Instructor, I bought a used Gaggia ‘prosumer’ espresso machine from eBay in order to learn how to make the perfect flat white and latte art. It took me many months of trying, but I’ve now perfected it! Now I can now have the best coffee whenever I please (courtesy of my favourite coffee roasters in Bristol).
How could you ‘fine tune’ your home to help you learn? Have fun with it!
4. More time to do things, less time getting to places
There is no doubt, the biggest bind about working in an office is the travel to get there. It's costly, unpredictable and essentially time you will never get back. It's dead time.
Studying from home means you can optimise your time. The average commute in the UK is 58 minutes per day – think about what you could do instead. Think about how different you would feel without rushing to catch that train or avoid that traffic. How would you spend that time instead?
Remote working and studying greatly reduces stress levels and unlocks time you thought you would never get back.
5. Become an inspired self-starter
When people start studying or working remotely, it can be hard to detach yourself from all the distractions in your home life. How could I not get distracted by the washing up, or avoid the home improvements which desperately need attention?
There is no doubt that blending work and home lives in one building can create the danger of multiple distractions.
Yet, when you start studying for something you are truly passionate about, you become more pragmatic and purposeful about the way you live. Suddenly you’ll notice that removing distractions is the aim of the game. You’ll start understanding the best ways to focus and get things done, and how to use calendars and reminders to optimise and compartmentalise your time. Want to get your washing up cleared before you start your day? Stick 15 minutes in your calendar and bathe in the glory. You’ll feel on top of the world!
With remote learning, you’ll leave the 9-5 culture behind you and become the energised continuous learner you always wanted to be!
