For almost anyone, starting a new school career can be a nerve-wracking experience. Taking online classes is one of the easiest ways to settle into a new scholastic situation. Whether you’re coming straight to college from high school or returning to school after spending time away, there are a few simple tips to keep your online college career on-track.
Take a tour of your online school
One of the most important things you can do in any new environment is to take an orientation tour! Sometimes the transition from learning in a face-to-face environment to limiting your learning to online can seem overwhelming and a little confusing. Dealing with chat sessions, forum discussion boards and turning in homework through a drop-box are all different experiences! Luckily, most online colleges offer an online orientation to guide you through the process of online education. Even if you feel like a computer genius, taking the tour is one of the best things to set your online college career on a path towards smooth sailing.
Pop quiz mentality
The goal of earning an online degree is not only to graduate, but also to graduate with as many high grades as you can manage. In order to succeed, one of the best tips is to treat every class you attend online as if the assignment for the day was going to be a pop quiz. Attend every class with the goal of taking thorough, neat notes organized in one place. The ability to do this consistently will make it easier for you to recall information, thereby making you a better student!
Manage your time wisely
Time-management is one of the most underrated skills a new college student can adopt to be a successful student. Procrastination is unfortunate and occurs in a high percentage of many new students – the thrill of putting off what can be done in today’s free time can lead to serious repercussions down the road. A planner is a great tool to use when adopting time-management. You can write yourself reminders for project due dates and circle days that you have to take an exam. Students attending online schools are typically rewarded with good grades for their persistence in time-management.
The Internet can seem like a wild and untamed place, possibly the wild west of a college education. However, with a certain set of rules, you can tame any online class and walk away with your degree. By following the above tips, you’ll have absolutely no problem earning your online degree.
June 10, 2010
I am getting divorced and will need to make some income to support my children. I have not been to school in 20 years, but going online looks good to me. Do I need to take some computer courses before I start?
June 14, 2010
mental pop quizzes are what saved me in high school
June 14, 2010
where are some good places to learn more about going to school online?
June 16, 2010
mental quizzing all the way! great tips, thank you
June 16, 2010
I’m starting at an online school next semester thanks for this article!
June 20, 2010
I wouldn’t sweat it. My first online class was intimidating at first, but once you get going you’ll be fine. The tips are great though
June 20, 2010
I must have toured dozens of online schools haha but it’s a safe idea before committing to a school.
June 21, 2010
I have always had trouble concentrating and staying on task. Do you have any advise to help for online students?
June 21, 2010
Do all schools offer the opportunity to take a course for free?
June 21, 2010
I am just getting ready to start my first online course. Do you have one most important piece of advice?
June 21, 2010
I like the idea of going back to school online. However, I am afraid of failing and wondered if there is help if you need it?
June 21, 2010
thanks for this helpful post, managing my time wisely is probably my biggest flaw
/
June 22, 2010
Time management is key, not only for test taking, but for life in general!
June 22, 2010
I’m kind of an online school noob so this helped me. Thanks! xD
June 26, 2010
These seem loke really good tips. I am just starting online school and am very concerned about keeping myself focused without any time restraints. Do you have any advise?
June 27, 2010
I am taking classes online and have found a way to study that works for me. While I am reading my weekly assignments, I make index cards with questions on one side and answers on the other. That was I can quiz myself all the time until I know all of the answers thereby insuring I will ace the tests.
June 28, 2010
Thanks for these tips, I can use all the help I can get. Is there any tutoring center at online college?
June 28, 2010
I am enrolled in online school right now and will use these tips, especially quizing myself. Thanks.
July 2, 2010
cool tips! i’ll keep these in mind
July 2, 2010
these are going to be in the back of my mind, thanks!
July 5, 2010
thanks for the article i’m sure these will help me
July 5, 2010
i’m taking an online course this semester wish me luck!
July 5, 2010
These are great tips. I just signed up for online school. I will try this and let you know.
July 8, 2010
Nice guide! I start my online classes next semester.
July 8, 2010
I’m starting in fall, thanks for this article!
July 10, 2010
Useful stuff you got here! I’m starting online college this semester xD
July 10, 2010
I took my first two years of college online and loved it! These tips are accurate
July 13, 2010
I always find making index cards helps too.
July 13, 2010
Take time-management seriously! These are great tips, I know from experience!
July 18, 2010
Time management has always worked for my at home. I will try it with my online schooling
July 21, 2010
I just took the tour of my online college today and I feel WAY better about it. Took away a lot of the stress
July 24, 2010
I agree with Kelly, mental pop quizzing always helped me!
July 25, 2010
I also went online and took a tour of the classes that are offered by the online school I am going to attend. I did not know that once I was accepted, I would be able to go online and view the courses.
August 3, 2010
Thanks for the tips, they should help out this coming semester!
August 4, 2010
I just got done touring my online school yesterday and I feel much more comfortable about taking classes now. Thanks for the post!
August 5, 2010
I took your advise and went online to check out my online school. It really has made a difference. It took away the fear of the unknown. Thanks
August 7, 2010
It really does make sense to familiarize myself with online school before I start. It takes a lot of the fear out of starting.
October 19, 2010
I haven’t started any online classes yet but I plan to very soon. I think I am going to take online tours of the schools I’m considering before I make my decision. It’s a tough choice!
December 11, 2010
I think the third point there is the most important one, specially with online schools. Its so easy to get behind on doing your work when you can access the class from anywhere instead of being forced to show up at a specific time. My friends have horror stories of signing up for an online class and forgetting they were enrolled until the last week and having to do a whole semester’s worth of work in just a few days! Yikes!