Study Tips for Online Learning

Posted on April 22, 2008 by Mark Gillard

UMassOnline, Mark Gillard With the end of the semester nearing and finals coming up, I’d like to pass along some study tips. I have taken many classes online over the past four years, and these are some things that have helped me prepare for tests:

Don’t be afraid to ask your fellow students for help. There may be someone in the class that is a wiz at the subject and can help you through it.
Try your hardest to be ahead of the game. It’s so easy to procrastinate and wait until the last minute to do your work for an online class. My suggestion (and believe me, I have not always adhered to my own advice!) is to stay at least 2 days ahead of the syllabus schedule. This allows you extra time to study come test time.
Some online classes allow open book tests. Don’t let this fool you! The tests are timed and if you don’t know the material the open book will not help you. As mentioned above, don’t wait until the last minute to study for a test. It’s better to take an hour or so a night the week heading into the exam rather than trying to cram hours of study in the night before.
Utilize the text book website. Most text books now have companion websites with study material and even sample tests.
Consider taking the day of a big exam off from work and relax and study a bit. Many of us online learners work full time. I know it’s not the most pleasant way to utilize your time off, but it can really pay off!
When you are ready to take the test, make yourself comfortable. The beauty of an online course is that you can do if from the comfort of your home. I usually spread out any study and support material on my kitchen table, get in some comfy clothes and have a big glass of water handy. After I’m comfortable and feel ready, I log in and go for it!
I usually go after the easy questions first to build my confidence. Then I go back and tackle the tougher questions. Since these are timed tests, this gives you a good idea of how much time you can spend on the tougher questions.