Sheldon McKinsey, Negosentro | Taking coaching classes for UPSC preparation has remained a core concern for many UPSC aspirants, but it is not always possible for aspirants to leave their hometown or take a break in their professional life to come and avail coaching facilities in the coaching hubs to prepare for UPSC.
In this age of technology, the education industry has undergone drastic changes, and various avenues of online learning are available now. The same disruption has taken place in preparation for UPSC Civil Service Examination, and online courses are available to prepare for the exam from the comfort of your home and availability of time.
In this article, we will provide a clear picture of both online as well as offline classes for UPSC CSE preparation. Each person is a unique individual. So, the same mode of teaching, whether online or offline doesn’t suit everyone. After reading this article, you will be able to decide whether to opt online or offline classes as per your requirements.
Accessibility
A first headache is to search for a suitable coaching class that would meet all the requirements of UPSC CSE at one single place.
You can pick the coaching class of the best faculty in offline classes, but that would involve travelling away from home, living in a completely unknown city, and struggling in an extremely competitive learning environment. According to a study, almost 50,000 students live in Mukherjee Nagar itself, a coaching hub in Delhi. Life can be disturbing in such crowded places. And, for IAS peace and stability of mind is the foremost thing. The only advantage in living in such an environment is that aspirants can know the latest news regarding the latest change in UPSC prelims syllabus and information regarding the UPSC prelims answer key. For the most part, most aspirants prefer to be isolated yet have some form of communication with fellow aspirants that would not hamper their concentration.
Further, a single institute may not have best teachers on all the subjects. With online classes, you can take any course from any coaching class from the faculty you want to learn from the comfort of your home. There is no fear of living away from your home at a strange place among the unknown people. You can live with your loved ones and pursue your dream of becoming a civil servant simultaneously.
Comfort
Offline classes would mean spending a considerable amount of time in travelling from your place to the coaching institute in public transport, traffic jams, and packed streets. Often the classes go on for hours with little or no breaks with you sitting in an uncomfortable chair, and suffering from back pain by the end of the day.
In online classes all lectures and needed materials are provided via online platforms, so you’ll easily access them from the comfort of your home. You can read sitting at your favourite place on your favourite couch. You won’t have to get up early to get dressed for class. Even if you get ill and miss the classes for a day you can cover up for the same on the next day.
The Pace of Learning
In offline classes, the teacher has no choice but to teach the course according to the majority of the classes. There is a fixed amount of syllabus which is to be covered in the given period.
In online classes, the pace of learning can be varied by the aspirant. If you have a strong hold on a subject, you can skip it or cover in lesser time. Similarly, you can give more time to your weaker areas. If you are working or the timing of the live sessions doesn’t match with your timings, you can watch them when you are free. Thus, online classes are a great advantage to working individuals or for those who have a family and other responsibilities and can’t go to full-time offline classes.
Interaction and Involvement
In offline classes, there is involvement of people sharing and receiving knowledge in a conventional offline classroom. If you are an extrovert, who enjoys learning with lots of people, then this would be a better option.
If you are an introvert who do not want distractions from other people and enjoy learning in a silent place, online classes would be best suited for you. There is no other student out there to disturb you. Uninterrupted learning can be achieved.
Independent Learning
If you need someone to push through the studies, an offline class is a better option for you. But, if you are self-disciplined and love independent learning, then go for online classes.
Therefore, each has its pros and cons. When the distance, availability of choices and comfort are considered, online classes are much better than offline classes. Your options are almost limitless for finding a convenient, inexpensive online course that fits your needs. If there is no issue with the distance and you love conventional classroom environment, offline classes are a much better choice. Hence, as per a student’s convenience, both types of classes are effective in their ways.
