Mumbai: Summer vacation is a time for students to relax and engage in activities that interest them. For many, it is also an opportunity to invest in personal and professional growth through various summer courses.
There are endless number of courses that students like to do during the summers. Some of these include academic courses, language courses, professional development courses, creative arts courses, fitness and wellness courses, technological courses, culinary courses, travel and study courses, etc. Sometimes, students are in a dilemma when choosing between offline and online courses.
As students explore the diversity of summer courses available, it's important to hear from those who have experienced them firsthand.
Students claim to have a 50/50 opinion about online or offline courses. Some prefer it being online as it allows them to balance other things and is convenient, but again, some say it eliminates the aspect of real-time interaction.
Shourya Singh, pursuing a bachelor's degree in science at Thakur International College, said, “I'm working on a Python course that covers basic and advanced programming skills, including app development. It's a great opportunity to improve my CV and gain experience and useful for my biology studies."
When asked about choosing between online and offline, she said, "Online courses offer flexibility but lack real-time interaction for doubt clarification, relying instead on search engines or AI. While convenient, they may lack the personal touch needed for effective learning. Nonetheless, they provide significant opportunities for distance learning and accessibility. Ultimately, the choice between online and offline courses depends on individual preferences.”
Reginold Fernandes, pursuing a bachelor's degree in Mass Communication and Journalism at St Xavier’s College, said, “Summer break is the perfect time to learn new skills, so I decided to take a filmmaking course. It's a great chance to meet others who share my passion and collaborate on projects. Plus, the skills I gain will come in handy for my degree assignments. I highly recommend summer courses as a fun and productive way to invest in yourself and keep improving.”
When questioned about his preference between online and offline options, Fernandes responded, “The course I have taken requires me to be offline most of the time; filmmaking is very hands-on work. But filmmaking or not, I personally don't like online courses because being an outgoing guy it deprives me of interacting with different people and makes my screen time skyrocket.”
Nidhi Suvarna, pursuing a bachelor's degree in commerce at MKS College, said, “I joined a summer class to boost my digital marketing skills. This course covers SEO, social media, email advertising, content creation and analysis. It will help me use digital channels better for personal and professional projects, making me more valuable to employers. I'm eager to apply what I learn, like SEO techniques, to improve website visibility. I strongly recommend summer courses for personal and career growth.”
When asked about her preference between online and offline, she said, “I feel like an online course is more convenient for me considering I have quite a lot of things to do at home and outdoors. Going all the way for an offline course will end up requiring me to sacrifice my time to travel to and from it. Additionally, an offline course allows me to do it in the comfort of my home and at my own pace and time.”
