Study Skills Tips for Online College Classes
Time Management Skills & Communication with Instructor are Key
Sep 7, 2008
Online classes come with some hefty advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, distance learning offers an outstanding opportunity for nontraditional students and anyone who's busy to fit higher education into their schedules. However, these classes require students to be disciplined, and not everyone is up to this task.
If you're going to invest the money (as these classes can be expensive) and time (which you probably value quite a bit) into an online course, you need to develop some strong online course study skills. Here are some tips to help you make this experience a success.
Time Management Skills
Time management is a struggle for all students, but nontraditional students often have especially difficult juggling acts. If you've got a full time job, a family, and/or other obligations, working in school may feel overwhelming. Here are some tips to help.
- Make a study schedule. At the beginning of the semester, set aside a certain number of hours each week to work on the course. Unless there is an emergency, stick to your schedule! Make sure you set aside enough hours, and -- difficult as it may be -- spend these hours working exclusively on school.
- Make a study space. Most people work better if they have a comfortable work place set aside. This doesn't need to be a luxurious home office, but try to set aside at least a private corner of your home for school needs.
- Avoid distractions. Home comes with lots of distractions, some of which are easier to avoid than others. If your child is sick while you're trying to study, of course this "distraction" will take precedence. However, you can avoid the TV, web surfing, and talking on the phone. If your time is at a premium, you'll have to work extra hard to avoid distractions.
- Get family members on board. People don't always take online classes as seriously as traditional ones, and may not understand that you need to be left alone during your study time. Let partners and kids know, in no uncertain terms, that your studying is an important priority. Other family and friends also need to know that if you say you can't get together because you have school work, you mean it.
- Avoid procrastination. Easier said than done, of course, but if you're a very busy person, you really need to get your work done efficiently and on time.
Take Interactive Features and Tools Seriously
One of the coolest things about online courses is that they can be very interactive. You may be asked to link to relevant websites, watch relevant YouTube clips, do online exercises, or answer online poll questions.
One of the most important online study tips is this: never skip these online features! It can be very tempting to dismiss these as busy work and skip ahead to the next part of the lesson. However, good online courses don't contain busy work (or not much). These interactive features are designed to help you learn the material and do well on the exams. You paid too much money for this class not to get the most out of it as you can, so do what you're asked to do.
Communicate with the Instructor and the Class
Just because a class is online doesn't mean you're on your own. Never hesitate at asking your instructor questions. Just like in traditional classes, help is available, but you won't get help unless you ask. Don't be shy about asking technical questions that relate to the class, especially if this is your first time taking an online course. Many people are confused by new technology at first, and your instructor will expect these kinds of questions.
Many classes also have an online component that allows you to have discussions with the instructor and other students. It's in your best interest to participate in these formats. For one thing, this is a good way to ask questions. In addition, the feeling that you're part of a class and not totally on your own can help you stay motivated to keep on track.
Give Online Classes Your Best Shot
Online courses have been instrumental at helping many different kinds of people get a college education. However, they're rarely easy, and you have to be willing to put in time and energy to make them work. It's possible that online classes aren't your best option. However, don't let yourself reach that conclusion without giving a few classes your all to see if they can really work for you. Use smart study skills techniques and you just might find that online classes can make a real difference in your education and your life.
See also: Is Online Education Affordable?
 |
