Online courses have many plusses and minuses. For instance, you get to work from your bed and at your own speed, but sometimes it can be hard to stay on track or remember to hand things in on time.
Even though online classes have the perception by many as easier than a typical face-to-face course, they could easily turn from a dream to a nightmare if they aren’t handled correctly.
Here are 3 tips to succeed in your online classes this semester.
1. Plan, Plan, Plan
Getting organized is probably the first thing you should do when you enroll in an online class. Try writing down all of your deadlines in your planner or calendar and then make a schedule that shows which day you will do your discussions, study etc. Some online courses will have deadlines spelled out for you in a syllabus and others will just have one due date for all assignments. If your class follows the latter, try making your own deadlines so you don’t have 15 assignments to do at the end of the semester in one day.
2. Make Contact with your instructor
Reach out to your instructor at the beginning of your course and stay in touch throughout. This is the same thing that you would do in any of your other courses, so why not? Your online instructor may even have office hours that you wouldn’t have known about. Staying connected is a good way to get extra credit and will help you out if you ever have any specific questions about an assignment.
3. Get Dedicated
Choose one place where you will work on this course and have all items organized and ready for when you study or do an assignment. Pick a place that allows you to concentrate without distractions. Dedicate a certain day or two for this course and stick to it. Creating a regular schedule will make you feel like it is a traditional class and will keep you motivated to stay on track.