When most people think of online learning, they think of mature students who perhaps no longer have the time to attend a traditional, on-campus program. However, online learning is rapidly growing in popularity, and a huge number of students of all ages, backgrounds and financial situations are making the switch to home-based, remote learning done online. Not only is online learning more flexible and often cheaper, it also provides students with an awesome opportunity to become more eco-friendly.
Here are some of the best ways in which studying online can help you go green.
Travel Less
When you’re a student, you spend more hours than you think getting around – either between classes and home, or travelling between campuses to get to different lectures, seminars and other classes. If you’re able to walk or cycle to class then you’re not doing any damage, but with a lot of students driving or taking public transport, commuting to college is contributing to dangerous carbon emissions.
Studying online means that you won’t need to leave your home in order to learn, which isn’t only more convenient – it means that you can cut down on your vehicle use. With widely-recognized and in-demand programs available, such as the Concordia University online MBA, there’s never been a better time to go green with your education.
Use Less Energy
When studying at home as an online student, you might find that at first, your energy usage goes up. However, studying at home can be a great chance to put in more effort to go green and discover new strategies to keep the amount of energy that you use at a minimum, for example by using energy saving light bulbs and always remembering to unplug your laptop when it doesn’t need to be charged.
Or, you could even go a step further and have solar panels installed on your home, allowing you to power it for free with sunlight.
Raise Awareness
Although online students may not have the on-campus socialization that traditional students can benefit from, there are many ways in which you can still get involved with your college and fellow students. This means that even from your own home, you have a great opportunity to raise awareness about eco-friendliness and persuade other students to join you, for example via social media or even organizing a meet!
Recycle
Whilst you’re studying at home, you’ll have more time to think about the amount of things that you waste and how you can cut this down. As a student, getting into the habit of recycling as much as possible is essential, as it’s so important to use and reuse these resources as much as possible in order to get the most out of them. So, next time you’re about to throw a plastic bottle or cardboard box in the trash remember that they can be recycled.
Studying online isn’t just a flexible and cheaper way of getting a degree, it can also help you to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle, allowing you to reduce your carbon footprint and save money.