Preparing Yourself for an Online Class

This guide was created to provide you, the student with tips toward a successful experience in an online class. Hopefully these tips will give you ideas on things you can do be successful in an online class. The tips are as follows:

Be Self Motivated

Self-motivation is very important in taking an online class. It is solely your responsibility to be in the class at its designated time. Additionally, you need to be a motivated and active participant in the class who completes all the work that is assigned. The key is to find what can motivate you to do your best in the class.

Be Prepared and Organized

Preparation and organization is important in any type of classroom whether it be traditional or online. In order to be prepared you should have your work done and be up to date on the readings. Organization is also important because most online classes are only once a week, and therefore you want to be prepared ahead of time Make yourself a binder or folder to keep all the important files, work or hand-outs that pertain to the class. Also, use a planner to write down the due dates of projects and papers because they might get lost in the confusion of a busy week.

Set Goals for Yourself

Goals can be very difficult to achieve, however if as a student you can motivate yourself and set goals you can be successful in any class. By setting goals for yourself and then achieving them, you will have a long road of success ahead.

Check your Email Frequently

Make sure to check your email frequently when you are enrolled in an online class. Most of the time email is the only link between you and the professor outside of class time. In addition, many online professors send emails about class assignments, or what will be happening in an upcoming class. It is to your best interest to check your email frequently.

Be Able to Communicate Through Writing

The ability to write effectively is a valuable asset to have. Online discussions, emails, and papers all require good writing skills. Therefore being able to communicate effectively through writing is very important when trying to be successful in an online class.

Time Commitment

Every online student should set aside a fixed time each week to work on projects or assignments. A good time commitment for an online class would be 2-3 hours a week, depending on the difficulty of the class.

Participate in Online Discussion and Chat

Participation in an online class is essential. Without participation there would be long periods of time where no learning will be taking place. Participation keeps the class interesting and the topics of discussion flowing.

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions

One of the biggest problems in an online class is that students don’t ask questions during discussions. Some students are afraid that their questions are stupid or useless. It has been said that if you have a question most likely at least one other person in the class has the exact same question. When you ask questions it helps everyone. Students can understand topics better and professors can see how their students are retaining the information. There is a saying, “There is no such thing as a stupid question, except for the one that isn’t asked.” Therefore, don’t be afraid to ask questions, it could benefit everyone.

Don’t Let Your Physical Environment Impair Your Ability to Learn

With an online class it is easy to walk away or divert your attention to something else. Students with wireless connectivity might sit in front of their televisions watching a program or playing video games. In order to be successful in an online class you need to find environments that are distraction free. Distractions will take away from your ability to learn and could lead to less success in the class.

Interact With Your Online Classmates Outside of the Classroom

Much of the learning in an online class is done outside of the classroom. Nevertheless in order understand concepts from the online discussion, you should discuss the topics of class with other classmates. Many of your online classmates are in your other classes, therefore you have easy access to people to discuss these topics with. If you are unacquainted with your online classmates, email the professor for their opinion of whom you could talk with in the class. Having an additional classmate or “buddy” to talk with allows you to understand and gain different perspectives on the topics in the class.

Take Notes on Topics Discussed in Class

Taking notes in class helps you remember topics discussed from the online class. Reading through your notes occasionally helps you to retain information as well as it helps fulfill the time commitment responsibilities to the class.

Be Willing to Share Personal Experiences

During class you should be willing to share your personal experiences that you have encountered as they relate to discussion topics. Sharing experiences can help others learn more about the topic at hand.

Read and Complete all Assignments as Posted

To be successful in any class you must complete all assignments that are posted by the instructor, plus any homework that has been assigned. In online classes many instructors post supplementary readings. Glancing at the supplementary readings can improve your ability to understand topics and gain additional knowledge on the subject matter of the online class.