Map out a strategy for being successful. Whether you are taking classes online for college or you are simply trying to enrich yourself, you can be successful if you have a plan in place before beginning your studies. Your strategy does not have to be anything elaborate; it simply needs to include a few goals and the way that you intend to accomplish those goals. For example, if you are taking four online classes and each class has one textbook, you need to have a plan to read all four books in an efficient manner. Determine how much time you have to devote to reading each day and stick to it. Furthermore, determine how much time you have each semester to complete the entire book. If you have a 16 week semester and 16 chapters in your book, you should devote enough time each week to complete one chapter.
Supplement your required reading with additional materials found online. Utilize university websites like the open courseware site maintained by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MIT posts many video and audio lectures online that are available online to anyone who has computer access. Courses are available in a wide variety of topics including engineering, history, physics, math and English. Other institutions offering online courseware include Yale University, the University of California at Irvine, Tufts University and Utah State University.
Collaborate with other students regularly. This has proven to be a fairly effective method for students in college who feel isolated by the process of online learning. Find somebody in one of your classes who would be willing to share an equal amount of the work over and above what is required for the course. Share notes and links to webpages with one another via email or use a social networking site like Facebook.
Take notes as you read. You don't have to take extensive notes of your textbooks, but creating a basic index of where you find important concepts throughout your reading can provide you with a quick reference guide for your quizzes and exams.