Online College Selection and Study Tips from a Winner
Editors Note: These tips were selected as the winning entry from BrainTrack's Online Colleges Scholarship completed in spring 2011. At the time of submittal, the winner, Tiffany Warrior, was studying for a Masters in Systems Engineering at Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta, Georgia.
Online Program Selection Tips | Online Study TipsWhat tips for selecting an online program would you recommend to other students?
Do your research, assess your personality and learning type, and assess your schedule and other commitments. Find a program that best suits your lifestyle. When researching schools, start off looking to see if the schools in your area offer online coursework; having the campus in commuting proximity helps if your schedule ever opens up, and/or if you feel you need a traditional class here and there. Realize that online degree programs do not have to be an all or nothing approach.
Some schools offer hybrid courses (partially online, partially traditional) that can mix the best of both worlds for you. Also, considering schools in your state of residence can be beneficial to your wallet, because although you may never step foot on campus, there may be a big difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition.
If you are pursuing a graduate degree, check back with your undergraduate alma mater to see if they have added online degree programs. This may help in the admissions process, and since you may be already familiar with the faculty and the culture, the transition will be easier as well.
Some schools do not offer online degree programs but they do offer Open Course Ware content. For instance, MIT (http://www.ocw.mit.edu) offers videos, notes, lecture slides, and other materials from a variety of courses free of charge and no registration required. There, a potential online student can use these materials as a spring board for learning on a self-paced schedule.
Contact the schools to see if there is an orientation you can attend, or material they can send you. Some schools have an online orientation that may include an assessment you can take to figure out if an online degree is a right fit for you. This assessment may ask you questions about your personality, and study habits; answer honestly, this is to help you and will not have bearing on your admission into the program.
Finally, ask other people that have completed their degree online or people who are currently pursuing one. Also ask people who pursued a more traditional route, for comparison. It helps to have someone to talk to about your decision, and these same people can provide support as you journey forward.
What study tips would you recommend to other online students?
Log-in everyday
Even if it's just once, it helps you stay one step ahead. Sometimes professors will post announcements, or other class materials that will allow you to read ahead of the live lectures. Activate alerts if they are available to you so you can stay as up-to-date as possible. Your classmates may be in the online chat area, so you may have an opportunity to collaborate with them.
Read ahead
Read assignments ahead of live lecture time and have questions/topics prepared for discussion. The professor may provide PowerPoint slides in advance, and will usually stick to those if no one participates. Even if the topic is interesting to you, it can get very boring, very fast, if there is little back and forth. To get a more in-depth explanation of something that may be confusing, since your professor may not be able to see your quizzical looks, you will have to ask through e-mail, instant message, or over your computer’s microphone during the live portion.
Avoid procrastination
Online classes differ heavily from a full time campus environment because you are not completely immersed in the school experience. Everyone physically around you aren't taking classes, and you may be the only one in your family or group of friends in school. This being said, it is very easy to get behind with trying to juggle a job, family needs, and/or an active social calendar. Waiting until the very last minute to work on assignments will create additional stress, and may cause your routine to become unbalanced. Getting behind will make online classes feel more difficult than they intend to be.
Try not to miss the "live" meetings
If your online class offers live lectures, they often may not be required for your final grade, but try not to miss them. This helps you stay on-top of discussion topics, allows you to interact with your classmates, and may gives you a semblance of the traditional campus atmosphere.
Inform family and friends of your scheduled class time and study time
It helps tremendously when your support system is aware of what you are trying to accomplish. Let those closest to you know of your class schedule, and your study plans. If you work full-time, keep your supervisor informed about your academic plans and goals. He/she may create a flexible schedule for you or at the very least keep your school workload in mind when assigning work tasks.
Communicate with your classmates
While it's difficult to get to know your peers in an online environment, it is not impossible. Share information, ask around for study groups. Maybe someone lives close to you and can meet up to compare notes. Eventually you will find that you encounter a lot of the same people online. It becomes easier to develop a rapport the more classes you take. Additionally many of the online students work full time, and being in class with them offers great opportunities for professional networking.
Stay organized and connected
Keep your surroundings free of clutter, quiet, and organized as possible. This may seem like more of a personal choice but it can be very beneficial. When attending an online lecture it is extremely easy to get distracted. If you can see dishes in the sink or a pile of laundry on the floor, it might be hard to focus on a lecture where the professor won’t notice that you are not there anymore. If home life is difficult to keep serene, find a place that is peaceful for you, your local library, a coffee shop, your favorite park, anywhere that creates a low-stress environment. Purchase devices that allow you connect anywhere (an ultra portable net book, Wi-Fi from your wireless provider). Carry books and class materials with you at all times, you will be surprised where you will be able to get some extra studying done (i.e. at the hair salon/barbershop, on vacation, doctor's waiting room, etc.).
Stay Positive
Earning a degree is challenging, there is little doubt about that, however online classes are there to make life a bit more manageable. Keeping these tips in mind can help maximize the experience. Remember the pleasant details of pursuing your degree online. Reflect on the ways that choosing this unconventional route has helped you. Think about all the money you’ll make when it’s all over. Keeping a positive attitude can help you through when things get rough.
Take a Vitamin
Eat well, take care of yourself, and pace yourself. You're going to need the energy. Especially if you work full time or part time. Trust me.
The bulk of the work is in the preparation. Taking the class is the easy part.
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