"You don’t have to get up in early mornings and dress up or bear the traffic hassle."

Although studying online from another country can come with its challenges, including load-shedding issues and time differences, recent commerce graduate Rabeea Anwar says that her overall experience studying via cloud from Pakistan was positive and enjoyable.

‘I was always connected to the teaching staff through emails and CloudDeakin, which is a huge support for an online student. The university’s high standard software and facilities have allowed me to adopt a flexible and convenient study schedule.

‘It’s amazing how Deakin has enabled me to complete my chosen degree with a very well recognized university, while being located at the opposite side of the globe,’ she says.

Cloud study gives you freedom to study when and where it suits you. You can watch your lectures online, read your texts on your tablets or laptop while you are on the train and compare notes with other students online during your lunch break.

‘Deakin has been a terrific communication tool for me. I was able to discuss my course topics and assignment questions with the other students with ease and the entire teaching staff has been absolutely amazing throughout all of my trimesters.

‘Off-campus study life has its own benefits. You don’t have to get up in early mornings and dress up or bear the traffic hassle. You can stay in your pajamas and attend lectures at any time of the day; and you don’t even have to sit up straight!

‘Off-campus students should print the lecture notes when attending the online classes, so they can keep a track of the specific topics they need help with. Also, I would recommend attending all the e-live tutorials if you’re aiming for a high score in the exams. These sessions tend to be quite useful as you learn the question format and it’s the best way to have a chat with your teachers,’ she explains.

Lastly, Rabeea reflects that there is not just one best thing about studying online, but rather the whole experience, as well as the fact that you can complete your degree of choice from anywhere in the world. ‘I love the way Deakin has arranged communication applications which allow audio conversations to be held from any part of the world.’

In line with a definitive trend to study from when and where you want, cloud learning is fast becoming the preferred way to combine study with other life commitments, and each year over 10,000 students choose cloud study at Deakin.