The case in summary: – Sara Fossaas Aarsland is taking a year’s study in logistics through the University of Molde, while she lives in Kristiansand. – She chose online studies to have a greater choice of studies and to be able to keep her job and her friends in Kristiansand. – Flexible online based studies have become more popular among students across the country, especially after the pandemic. – Financial considerations, such as high housing costs and the need to combine education with work, are also a factor in the popularity of online studies. – In Southern Norway, flexible studies in kindergarten teacher training, childcare and nursing are popular, and a new one-year course in biology has also attracted many applicants. – The student organization in Agder supports the flexible studies, but points out that it can be more difficult to build networks without the traditional campus experience. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – I live in Kristiansand with my husband, who has a permanent job. We didn’t want to move, so online studies give me the opportunity to study what I want and at the same time keep the friends and job I have here, says Sara Fossaas Aarsland. The 23-year-old from Tyristrand will take a year’s study in logistics through the University of Molde, while she lives in Kristiansand. – It was not a point for me that it should be online, but I wanted a larger selection than what I found at the University of Agder, she says. Since you are reading about education and young people, perhaps this matter about morning routines is relevant for you. Sara Fossaas Aarsland and her husband. He is an important reason why she chooses an online flexible course. Photo: Screen dump Deciding on your own everyday life Fossaas Aarsland believes that there are many students who know that it is nice to be able to decide on, and plan their everyday life themselves. – If the study had not been digital, I would probably have chosen another online study or a study in Kristiansand. – Do you fear that you may lose your network with other students when you are not on campus? – Yes, I have certainly considered this. I have studied for three years, and have a good network around me, so at the moment I am not dependent on a student environment. Personally, I have been very happy to attend physical lectures, and ideally I would have continued with that, but the choice of study was more important to me now, says Fossaas Aarsland. Here are the three girls that Sara lived with in the collective. Photo: Screen dump Popular flexi-studies Flexible online studies have become more popular among students in several places. At the University of Agder, they notice an increase in applicants for several studies. The new online one-year course in biology received 124 applicants, but only has 30 study places – When we made it online, interest exploded, says vice-rector for education Hilde Inntjore at the University of Agder. It was during the pandemic that online studies became more popular. – It probably has something to do with the fact that you are more used to online studies, says the vice-chancellor. But the financial situation for the students is also decisive. – We know that being a student is tough. The housing market costs and expenses have increased. For many, it is necessary to be able to combine their education with work, or to live at home, says Inntjore. In Sørlandet, the flexible options within kindergarten teacher training, the childcare and nursing studies are also full of students. These studies are also very popular: School library knowledge (online, bachelor’s degree): 67 applicants Technology, people and society (online, master’s degree): 146 applicants Vice-rector for education at UIA, Hilde Inntjore hopes that the flexible studies can make everyday life easier. Photo: UiA More students Molde University College has two flexible, online-based annual studies that have been popular this year: Annual study in IT Annual study in logistics 600 people applied for the IT study, and there are 131 more applicants than last year. The college had 200 study places in IT, and 400 places in logistics. This year, 397 people applied to study logistics. There are 69 more than in 2023. – These two studies, since they can both be followed online and can be taken part-time over two years, make it easier to combine education with a life situation where it is difficult to follow the teaching from the classroom, says Øystein Nerland, team leader admissions at the University of Molde. – Not the classic student experience The student organization in Agder also supports the flexible studies. The organization hopes it will attract more students to the campuses. – By having a greater diversity in the type of studies you can choose, perhaps it opens the door for even more people to choose to study, and that is hugely positive, says manager Magnus Ellefsen Moen. The student organization welcomes any form of input on how the students want to shape their own daily study life. – Whether it is a hybrid solution with group-based meetings or completely digital, the individual student knows best for himself, he says. – What can be negative about flexible studies? – It is precisely that you do not get the classic student experience. Perhaps it is more difficult to build the networks that many use their study time to build up, says Ellefsen Moen. Published 07/08/2024, at 12.22
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More students want flexible studies – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
