In the past, earning a college degree meant physically attending in-person classes, which often posed challenges for working professionals or those with complicated schedules. Now, thanks to advances in technology, it\u2019s easier than ever to find a degree program that offers the flexibility you need, whether through traditional in-person classes, online learning, or a blend of the two.<\/p>\n
There are many\u00a0advantages to online courses<\/a>; they\u00a0allow you to learn whenever, wherever, and however works best for you, making it easier to\u00a0earn a degree while balancing work and family commitments. And without having to attend classes in person, online learning affords you access to top degree programs across the country that might have otherwise been inaccessible or highly inconvenient.<\/p>\n Online classes can present unique challenges, however, if you\u2019re not prepared. But if you develop skills for effective online learning, you\u2019ll find the courses can be an excellent alternative to a traditional classroom setting. Here are some tips for online learning success to make sure you get the most value out of your next class.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re considering taking online college courses (or you\u2019re already enrolled in a program) the tips and advice below can help you address their unique challenges to get the most value out of your online program.<\/p>\n When it comes to online classes, you need to have the discipline to sit down and say, \u201cI am going to work on this,\u201d as well as the dedication to actually follow through. Though you can be flexible as to\u00a0when<\/em>\u00a0you choose to complete your work during the week, you can\u2019t put it off indefinitely.<\/p>\n One of the easiest ways to ensure follow-through is to remember that you are paying to take this online course, just as you would for a traditional, in-person class. You must \u201cshow up\u201d if you\u2019re going to get real value out of your class. Treat your online classes the same way you would a face-to-face class\u2014or, better yet, a job\u2014and you\u2019ll be off to the right start.<\/p>\n Set goals at the beginning of the semester, and check-in with yourself weekly. In a traditional classroom setting, you\u2019ll often receive verbal or visual reminders of an assignment\u2019s upcoming due date. But without a professor actively reminding you, it\u2019s up to you to make sure you\u2019ve allotted enough time to complete the work so you\u2019re not starting an assignment the day before it\u2019s due.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re having trouble holding yourself responsible, pair up with a fellow classmate, or enlist the help of a spouse or friend to check in as an accountability partner. By being organized, proactive, and self-aware, you can get the most from your online class even when life outside of school becomes chaotic.<\/p>\n The flexibility to create your own schedule is often one of the biggest appeals of taking online classes. But that freedom can also be detrimental if you do not have solid time management skills. Without them, you might easily to find yourself cramming before classes or handing in subpar assignments.<\/p>\n Though how you manage your time will depend on your schedule, learning style, and personality, here are some universally valuable tips to help you practice and\u00a0improve your time management skills<\/a>:<\/p>\n Set up a dedicated learning environment for studying. By completing your work there repeatedly, you\u2019ll begin to establish a routine. Whether your workspace is your kitchen table, a library, or the corner booth in a local coffee shop, it\u2019s important to determine what type of environment will work best for you. Experiment to discover which type of setting boosts your productivity. Wherever you choose, make sure there\u2019s high-speed internet access so you\u2019re not trying to take an online course over a lagging connection.<\/p>\n Setting up a regular workspace or office will also help you to stay organized. Knowing exactly where important dates, files, forms, syllabi, books, and assignments live will help keep you on track towards hitting your goals. When setting up your study space, make sure you:<\/p>\n From Netflix to social media to dishes piling up in the skink, you\u2019ll be faced with many distractions that can easily derail your studies. The best online students know how to lessen these distractions and set aside time to focus.<\/p>\n Exactly how much of a challenge these distractions will prove to be will depend on your own unique personality and situation. Some might find that they can tune out a noisy home by listening to music. Others might choose to work from a local coffee shop or library to eliminate their urge to multitask at home. Ultimately, you will need to find a strategy that works best for you.<\/p>\n Regardless of where you choose to work, consider turning your cell phone off to avoid losing focus every time a text message or notification pops up. And if you\u2019re still having trouble resisting the temptation to check your email or surf the web, try downloading a website blocker. Using applications like\u00a0Cold Turkey<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Freedom<\/a>\u00a0can help eliminate distractions by blocking the apps or websites that tend to compete for your attention, such as Facebook and Twitter.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve established where you\u2019ll learn, think about when and how you accomplish your best work. If you\u2019re a morning person, make time to study first thing. More of a night owl? Set aside an hour or two after dinner to cozy up to your computer. If the kids require your morning and evening attention, try to carve out a study session mid-day while they\u2019re at school. Brew your usual cup of coffee, put on your go-to playlist, and do whatever you need to get into the zone and down to business.<\/p>\n Not everyone learns the same way, so think about what types of information help you best grasp new concepts and employ relevant study strategies. If you\u2019re a visual learner, for example, print out transcripts of the video lectures to review. Learn best by listening? Make sure to build time into your schedule to play and replay all audio- and video-based course content.<\/p>\n Participate in the course\u2019s online forum to help you better understand course materials and engage with fellow classmates. This might involve commenting on a classmate\u2019s paper on a discussion board or posting a question about a project you\u2019re working on. Read what other students and your professor are saying, and if you have a question, ask for clarification.<\/p>\n Make sure you are checking in as often as you can, too. The flexibility of online learning means that if you have 30 minutes before dinner plans, you could squeeze in a discussion response around your schedule. Set a goal to check in on the class discussion threads every day.<\/p>\n And if you do feel yourself falling behind, speak up. Don\u2019t wait until an assignment is almost due to ask questions or report issues. Email your professor and be proactive in asking for help.<\/p>\n Online classes may sometimes make you feel like you are learning on your own, but this couldn\u2019t be further from the truth. Most online courses are built around the concept of collaboration, with professors and instructors actively encouraging that students work together to complete assignments and discuss lessons.<\/p>\n Build relationships with other students by introducing yourself and engaging in online discussion boards. Your peers can be a valuable resource when preparing for exams or asking for feedback on assignments. Don\u2019t be afraid to turn to them to create a virtual study group. Chances are good that they will appreciate it just as much as you will.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Source – https:\/\/www.northeastern.edu\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the past, earning a college degree meant physically attending in-person classes, which often posed challenges for working professionals or those with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edus.lk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1736"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edus.lk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edus.lk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edus.lk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edus.lk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1736"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edus.lk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1736\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edus.lk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edus.lk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edus.lk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Tips for Taking Online Classes<\/strong><\/h3>\n
1. Treat an online course like a \u201creal\u201d course.<\/h4>\n
2. Hold yourself accountable<\/h4>\n
3. Practice time management.<\/h4>\n
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4. Create a regular study space and stay organized.<\/h4>\n
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5. Eliminate distractions.<\/h4>\n
6. Figure Out How You Learn Best<\/h4>\n
7. Actively participate.<\/h4>\n
8. Leverage your network.<\/h4>\n