Successful online learners have good time management skills. You must find time to learn new information and complete short-term and long-term assignments. If you work part-time or full-time, you must schedule learning around your work. Some online classes require you to be online at a specific time each week, although others let you complete assignments at your own pace throughout the term. This means you must pace yourself to avoid leaving all your work until the last minute.
Online learners must be motivated and have the self-discipline to complete assignments. While students in traditional learning environments receive instruction when they attend class, students in online environments must teach themselves the information through reading, online videos or slideshow presentations. You must be willing to spend additional time on material you do not understand and ask for help from teachers and peers when necessary.
Successful online learners have good communication skills. You'll need to correspond with teachers and peers through writing; therefore, you must communicate well in written form through complete and grammatically correct sentences. You must also be able to read and understand information that is sent to you through emails or lesson plans.
Online learning requires patience. You may have to deal with technical difficulties involving your Internet connection that make it hard to download documents in a timely manner. Computer issues may make it difficult to complete assignments. Because you'll usually communicate with your professors and peers through email, you may often have to wait for responses to questions.