Hi Anthony,

Thanks for calling in during office hours. Because you are using R, you can pull the start date easily from the metadata using rerddap. Here is the link we mentioned to one of the R tutorials at:

https://dale-robinson.gitbook.io/coastwatch-satellite-course-may-2021/tutorials/r-tutorial/chapter-4-create-and-plot-timeseries

Code Snippet:

# Extract the beginning and ending dates of the dataset from the metadata in dataInfo

global <- dataInfo$alldata$NC_GLOBAL

tt <- global[ global$attribute_name %in% c('time_coverage_end','time_coverage_start'), "value", ]

# Populate the time vector with the time_coverage_start from dataInfo

# Use the "last" option for the ending date

tcoord <- c(tt[2],"last")

10 Reasons Why Distance Education is Ideal for Working Parents 

A day in the life of a parent is all about early morning tiffin preparation, school run, and helping with homework. It can definitely feel like you hardly have time to breathe. That’s why it is said that when you become a parent, your responsibilities increase, your priorities change, and it becomes hard to resolve the conflict between work and personal life.

Owing to these significant life changes, parents often neglect other life goals like education and career. With the changing market scenario and technological shifts, it is crucial to upskill to grow in your career. This is a highly time-consuming thing for your already busy schedule. Attending a full-time course in person at a college/university can be a hassle for a parent with all the family obligations.

This is where distance learning becomes a game changer for working parents. Being a parent should not mean putting a pause on learning, right? The flexible and less time-consuming format of distance education enables parents to continue their learning process comfortably. In fact, with the development of online technology, distance education programmes have become interactive and are at par with campus-based courses. So, now you can access your course materials, attend lectures and even consult professors while sitting at home.

The new model of distance education courses has helped parents carry out their responsibilities and upgrade their knowledge base simultaneously.

In this article, let’s discuss ten reasons distance education benefits working parents.

1. Flexibility

One of the primary benefits of pursuing a distance education is the freedom to navigate your academic plan as per your schedule. You can access your online study material after completing all other parental commitments, as there are recorded lectures available along with online learning courses. Let’s say it’s not the holiday season, so you have ample time after your kid leaves for school. During this time, you can speed up your learning and complete as many modules as possible. It is to be noted that some distance courses require a physical presence on campus occasionally, which is mostly on weekends.

2. Experience Virtual Campus

There are certain things you learn at the university campus. But when you are busy as a parent, you want to avoid being bothered by the campus challenges. With distance education, you can easily detach yourself from regular campus life and stay in touch with campus activities through online learning management systems. This will serve as a virtual campus where you can experience various elements of vibrant campus life, including lectures, group sessions, seminars, and other classroom activities.

3. Learn without Compromising Your Family Life

In this competitive environment, upskilling is extremely important to grow professionally. The lack of updated knowledge can cost heavily on your career growth. This is why working professionals continuously acquire new skills. Now, keeping in mind the daily struggles of a working parent, upskilling feels like an added burden. With distance education, this is not the case. If enrolled in a distance learning programme, you don’t have to compromise your family life for learning. Its flexible and economic pattern is an advantage for working parents.

4. Move at Your Own Pace

As a working professional, there are reports you need to submit, tasks lined up for completion, and a family to look after. You are already good at multitasking, and in between all  this hustle, distance learning will help you become better adept to carry out your responsibilities. It gives you the liberty to progress through different tiers of your course at your own pace.

5. No Stress of Competition

For working professionals, returning to academics after a long break can be challenging to adjust. From age differences and competition levels to changed learning methodology, it can cause peer pressure among working parents. In the distance mode, you don’t have to worry about adjustment issues. You can enjoy a personalised learning experience without the burden of catching up with others.

6. Pocket Friendly

Compared to regular courses, distance education is much more affordable. The question now is whether these programmes are credible or not. Yes, all distance courses are weighted equally and hold high value in the job market. In this mode, you get the same academic experience as regular courses within an affordable range. Distance learning won’t burn a hole in your pocket.

7. Broader Networking Opportunities

In a distance learning classroom, there are no geographical boundaries. You can network with learners from different backgrounds and with varied experiences through online mode. For a working professional, networking is highly advantageous for professional growth. The current distance programmes offer online seminars, workshops, and placement drives which help you to expand your perspective. Eminent courses like an online MBA programme offer immense networking opportunities, This is why these courses enable you to connect with experts in your field, teachers, and learners with diverse experiences.

8. Availability of Recorded Lectures

The most beneficial aspect of distance programmes is the ability to access recorded lectures which traditional learners do not have. As a working parent, there will be instances when you are unable to join the live lecture. With the provision of recorded lectures, you can again go through the missed classes when suitable. So, now you don’t have to worry about missing an important lesson and can easily revise any topic.

9. Continue Earning while Learning

Higher education is very costly, especially the regular programmes. Although distance learning is economical, you still need to pay the basic fee. For working parents, distance programmes are the ideal choice because you don’t have to compromise on your job and can continue to earn. As the classes are conducted either through online mode or, in a few cases, are scheduled for weekends, your work will never suffer. This way, you can easily support your academic and other expenses.

10. Relief from the Daily Commute

Doing household chores and reaching work on time is already a long journey. Why add another trip to your day when you can save time and energy with distance learning? Your institute can be far from your house, and travelling amidst massive traffic might disrupt normal life routines. As distance education courses can be attended from your home, it saves your time and money spent on travelling.

Bottom Line

Parenthood is a beautiful phase of life that should not restrict you from fulfilling your personal goals. In today’s time, the system has upgraded a lot, so you can benefit from it in various ways. The countless benefits of distance education programmes are the means to fulfil your academic aspirations.