Though the pandemic has affected our lives in innumerable ways, perhaps the most dramatic change was faced by the education sector. Education is a basic necessity as well as a fundamental right as per India’s Constitution. As the country continues to function under varying degrees of lockdown, creative solutions have been found to educate students without a break. Edtech and online learning have been adopted wholeheartedly by everyone, from the youngest of learners to the oldest.
Apart from the rise of dedicated edtech websites, apps and services, traditional institutes of education have also turned digitally proficient. Teachers and other faculty members have been taught to go digital. Lessons conducted in classrooms have been recorded and shared with students to allow an ease of attendance and viewing, while ensuring the look and feel of a real class. In fact, the idea of incorporating virtual conferences and other virtual options in the future has begun to be widely accepted.
One of the major aspects of education that has taken a turn in 2020 is the rising popularity of short online courses. Aimed at young children as well as adults at all stages of life, these short courses have proved fundamental to the lockdown experience, as everyone looks to upskill themselves and build their resumes.
One of the pioneers of short educational courses is Noida International University, located near the Yamuna Expressway Educational Hub. This university was founded with the aim to provide a platform for imparting education and contributing to the growth and development of the nation. To meet the exigencies of the pandemic, they have introduced short courses with a duration of three months each. These include focused courses like ‘Baby nursing and child care’, ‘Ambulance care’, ‘Maternity Nursing Assistant’, and many more.
There is no better time than the present to pursue these short-specialised courses. Here are five reasons why:
1. ACHIEVE A SPECIALISATION TO STAND APART
In these courses of short duration, students can focus on a specialised area of practice. This creates a variety of opportunities in different spheres of their chosen profession. Some examples include diplomas in intellectual property laws for a lawyer, or on the management of operation theatres, for someone in the medical profession. These specialised skills allow one to stand apart from their peers of the same profession.
2. GAIN PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE
These courses offer the advantage of working under the supervision of a few dedicated professionals that provide specific guidance and hand-held support. Thus, students gain much-needed practical knowledge as opposed to the bookish knowledge they attain in traditional courses of study.
3. GARNER CONFIDENCE TO START YOUR BUSINESS
Once students have studied one or more specialised skills, they gain the confidence to begin their private practice independently. In the present uncertain economic scenario, starting one’s own business is easier than finding a job elsewhere.
4. UPSKILL YOUR EXISTING RESUME
Short courses are an ideal extra academic activity that can be added to one’s resume to enhance it further and increase the chances of employability in the long run. Even simple short-term language courses go a long way in building one’s CV.
5. EXPERIMENT WITH A NEW FIELD OF EXPERTISE
A surprising but fruitful advantage of short courses is that one can pursue them from any field, regardless of what their area of study has been up till now. This is possible only because of the digitalisation of education, and we must use this factor to our benefit. Everyone from a 12th class graduate to people with multiple masters degrees, can pursue varied short courses as per interest and need.
It is said that one never stops learning, no matter what their age. The management at Noida International University is proving this adage true, by offering a variety of short-term specialised courses that aim to set a new benchmark in the Indian education system. It is time to think out of the box and reach for the stars by investing in short-term courses that are sure to take one ahead in life.
The writer is a lawyer who pens lifestyle articles on her successful blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be found on Instagram @nooranandchawla.