Time and time again criticism has been raised on social media and the negative consequence it has on the way children retain and process information, including its distracting features. However, one cannot deny that social media provides a lot of opportunities for students to learn and interact. Read on to find more.

1. Connect with Mentors
Mentoring plays a vital role in a student’s life; encouraging words and feedback make all the difference. Students can reach out to mentors in various industries or academic areas that they are passionate about through mentoring platforms such as MentorCity, Find a Mentor, Horse’s Mouth, MentorNet, iMentor, and iCouldBe. Students can connect with mentors and seek guidance on career prospects, their growth, and other aspects that had an impact.

2. Find Course Materials
Sometimes finding academic texts could be a tedious task. In such instances, social media will help students in sourcing out course material. Students can look up YouTube for playlists and videos on the most challenging topics. They can also follow subject-area hashtags on Instagram or Twitter to find more info. An added advantage of social media for education is that it allows one to send questions, reminders, and video notes to their classmates.

3. Sign up for Online Courses
With over ten million students enrolled in fully online graduate programs, education online has become one of the most sought-after alternatives. The improvisation of online learning has helped its expansion and it is considered as productive as face-to-face education. Online education platforms such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) and Coursera offer top-notch courses from prestigious institutes such as Stanford University, Harvard University, and Oxford University. Students can enroll in courses and earn certificates.

4. Research Career Options
Social media is one of the most powerful tools to connect with student alumni, organizations, and recruiters around the world. Students can build compelling profiles, network with teachers, work as a resource, and explore career options. Platforms such as LinkedIn help students explore career opportunities with top MNCs to start their careers.

5. Showcase your Work
In the era of smartphones and high-speed internet, digital portfolios are vital for students’ success. It allows them to curate, analyse, and archive their sample work in a digital format for future use. It is the best way to display students’ work and achievements because an online repository is bound to remain intact. Some of the best digital portfolios such as Squarespace, Viewbook, Fabrik, Format, and Carbonmade offer enough space for your work.

6. Create Learning Communities
Online communities function as an information system where students can comment, post, discuss, and collaborate on their desired topics. They are easy to take part in, find a sense of balance, and enjoy a sense of community in the learning process on mediums such as Facebook groups and Twitter discussions.

The extensive growth of social media platforms in recent years has improved a wide range of opportunities for learning and development. Students and teachers must use these platforms for higher education purposes.