Tips For Online Learning Success

Posted on March 17, 2008 by Mark Gillard

The professors at UMassOnline have been excellent and have gone well beyond my expectations in most cases. I have learned so much from taking classes in this program, but it has certainly been a challenge! For this post I thought I would give you my view of what it takes to be a success as a distance learner. These are my suggestions from one adult learner to another:

Discipline: Many people take online courses because of the flexibility. All you need is a computer with Internet access and you are good to go. However, this means that you need discipline to closely follow the course syllabus and discussion forums. You just can’t allow yourself to procrastinate or you will fall behind quickly.
Time Management: Most adult learners are also working full time, and some even raising families. This means time management is essential. I use a PDA and my Google Calendar to keep track of my schedule, but the good old fashioned paper planner works just as well. Try to schedule the best time of day to study. I am a night owl so I do my best studying at night after work. Some people prefer to study before they head off to work in the morning hours. Whatever works best for you; just try to stick to some sort of schedule if you can. I keep my book bag where ever I go. You never know when you will get a free moment to study! For example, I had a 6 hour flight to San Diego last week and I used the time to catch up on my studies.
Organization: This is very important and something that I personally struggle with all the time. I have found that keeping a physical folder for each class really helps. Print out everything that the Professor provides if you can. This would include the syllabus and any backup articles and notes provided. This is far better than trying to login and read things off a computer screen for long periods of time. And again…stay ahead of the scheduled due dates. If you are taking more than one course this becomes even more important.
Stay Engaged: What I mean is become involved in the class. Take the discussion forums seriously, and respond to as many of the students posts as possible. There is a wealth of information you can learn from the students and professors alike. Try to find a few people in the class that you can make friends with. This will help with the social aspects that are sometimes difficult to maintain for distance learners.
Balance: Many adult learners are juggling careers, family and school. It’s so important to find some time to relax with friends and family, or keep up with your hobbies. You have to get out and de-stress every now and again.

Please feel free to comment if you have any other tips that will help online learners. Happy studying!

Comments

One Response to “Tips For Online Learning Success”

e-Learning Pundit | Blog roundup on March 19th, 2008 7:35 am

[…] of earning what I would describe as a first-rate Bachelor of Business Administration degree, lists some great ideas on how to be a successful distance […]

Share your comment:
Review our comment policy