Online students come in many forms, workers returning to school to gain more qualifications, high schoolers looking to gain credit for college, people who study for fun. I work almost full-time hours, so in seat classes aimed for students who don't work during the day are useless. I am also visually impaired so travel to a large campus for evening classes is not practical. Online suits me because I can work at home, I love history and no local colleges offered that online, but I found a good school Columbia College (ccis.edu) which gave me a chance to go for a B.A. in History completely online. They also work with my local community college to provide me with proctors for my exams.
There are at least ten pieces of advice I would give to new online students.
1: Don't think it is easy. It isn't. You need to keep working classes around your life, you have feadlines for posts, essays, papers and exams. You will work harder than you think because you need to read everything.
2: You will gain new skills, most online courses require you to use powerpoint, or work with e-mail as basic requirements. Some require database searches and use You Tube and other social networks to view news stories or documentary films.
3: It can seem a long road to the degree. Sometimes you just feel it is not worth anymore effort. But then you get that spark of inspiration that your online teacher must praise you for and for a few more weeks you work with wings on your fingertips as you type.
4: As much of the work is done via e-mail like services you are not tied to the moment as you are during in-seat classes. If you don't have a great idea for a post online you can get up walk away, have a coffee, do the dishes, vacuum the house and come back when that fantastic answer is in your mind.
5: In seat classes restrict total involvement by everyone. You just don't get to hear everyones opinion. Online everyone must give an opinion. You get a variety of people the early posters, the last minute posters, you get the detailed posters and the one line poster. But try to read everyones post. You will learn a lot from your fellow students as you read their ideas on the texts.
6: One caveat:- Beware the plagiarist. One of my first online classes was spoiled for me by someone who blatantly copied and pasted not only my work but several others in the class. In the end we wrote to the instructor and the dean. Another good reason to read everyone elses post.
7: Organize your life around the class work if you can. Try to schedule parties for weekends when you know you won't have a ten-page term paper to work on. The syllabus should give you ALL due dates so you can see well in advance what is required and when.
8: Use all your colleges online assistance, advisors, teachers even other students can help sort out problemsgive advice on classes. I have asked fellow students if they have taken a class and what they thought of it. Like you they are fellow consumers and if they find the product faulty you might too.
9: Weeks go by very quickly when you are taking classes. I often look down the tunnel at the start of each of my eight week sessions and it seems such a long road. Blink and you are at the midterm. Pause and finals week is upon you with the mad rush to finish papers and get exam times sorted. There is little time to set aside other commitments but you cannot ignore family gatherings and friends might not understand if you refuse every invitation. So make time for those too. It's all in the planning.
10: Set a goal. Know why you want to study. You don't have to even be going for a degree; it can be a single class that interests you. If you have a goal it drives you to success. On the way enjoy the journey, don't see it as a chore or labor to be endured. In the words of one of my teachers, "Study is what gives you the education. Not passing the exam."
So a few ideas as to what you need to do to succeed in online learning. Most of all though enjoy the experience. If you enjoy it you will succeed.
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