Tips and Tricks for Taking an Online Class

Online classes have become a popular alternative to traditional college lectures. The ability to take college wherever you go is particularly popular among older students that have additional responsibilities such as work, children etc. However, the ability to take classes online is just as marketable to younger students as it is for adult students. Taking an online class is a lot different from a traditional lecture. It requires extra work to make up for the 3-4 hours of missed class-time each week and the additional responsibilities of typical online classes can make it difficult to keep up with the material. However, these tips and tricks will ensure that you are 100% prepared to ace your online class(es) this semester!

Try to do classwork on the same day/time every week. 

One of the biggest issues that people encounter when taking an online class is the lack of a schedule. Oftentimes, students forget about their online homework because there are no lectures. It is very easy to forget about an online assignment without having a solid schedule. In order to fix this, students can pick a specific day of the week to do online homework. By doing this, the chances of forgetting an assignment are much lower. 

Start your work at least one week before it’s due.  

Time management is one of the most important skills that you can be applied towards an online class. A lot of students struggle with time management, but there is an easy way to stay on top of your work, especially for online classes. Starting your homework at least one week before it is due will lead to much better results. Sometimes, online classes will allow you to see all of the assignment for the entire semester. This makes it extremely easy to get ahead on your work so you can focus on other classes that may require daily/bi-weekly homework. 

Read the textbook and/or class notes.

There are some students that take an online class in an attempt to avoid having to read the textbook. If anything, being in an online class will require much more reading than a traditional class with a lecture would. It is of the utmost importance that you fully understand the material, especially if you’re taking an online class as a prerequisite. Reading the textbook and/or class notes is the best way for you to learn in the absence of weekly lectures. 

Log on to your class daily. 

A lot of online classes require students to log in regularly. This is because the professor can post important announcements that pertain to homework, quizzes, projects, etc. You don’t have to do your work when you log in, but it would serve you well to make sure there aren’t any announcements or discussion posts that you missed. 

Find a place to do your work.

This tip mostly applies to students that solely take online classes. Finding a place where you can do your work will increase the chances of it being done well and on time. For online students, consider picking a room in your house that isn’t used often. If you can, try to get rid of any distractions that may be present in the room (TV, home phone, children, etc). The lack of distractions will make it much easier to focus on your work. 

It can be difficult to split your time between online and traditional classes. The increased  amount of work for an online class can make it difficult to keep up with your other classes. Alas, the premise of extra work should not dissuade you from taking an online class. It can be very beneficial for students that have busy schedules, or are looking to reduce their time sitting through a lecture. Anybody and everybody has the potential to excel in an online class. If you follow these tips and tricks, you will be well on your way to passing your online class(es) with flying colors.