The most successful online students can balance their educational workload with personal responsibilities and work. Knowing how much time you need for each task and organizing your days allows you to get it all done. Good time management skills include setting goals, prioritizing tasks and managing how much you schedule.
Whether your online class has a scheduled lecture component or recorded videos you watch on your own, you must be able to set aside time for your coursework and stick to it. Successful online students put the class on a calendar, just as you would if you were attending in person. They set up space in a home office or other room away from distraction so they can “attend” class at the designated times. If you cannot seem to get away from distraction or you tend procrastinate when it is time to learn, online classes may not be for you.
Successful online students are able to complete tasks independently. Because online classes mean you do not have walk-up access to the instructor, needing a high level of support could delay or impede your learning. If you are working late, an instructor may not be able to respond to an email until the next day. If you know you will need some extra help for a class or you are the type of student who learns best in a social environment, the classroom may be a better fit for you.
Most communications in online classes take place in writing, such as email, chats or discussion forums. Therefore, successful online students not only understand written instructions, but how to present questions, comments and feedback using proper syntax, vocabulary and grammar. Lacking these skills means wasted time and possibly unanswered questions.
Having to learn technology will distract you from course content. Successful online students know how to use a computer, the course as presented and the Internet. For example, your Internet bandwidth affects your ability to view video content. A dial-up connection will not provide the resources you need. Some classes require you to submit work as Microsoft Word or rich-text documents and successful students know how to create both types of documents in Word and other word-processing applications. Each class will have different technology requirements and you will have responsibility for knowing if your hardware, software and Internet service is adequate.
Video is a common online class component, with lengths of 30 minutes or more. If there are 10 such videos in your course, you will have to be able absorb a lot of information through your eyes and ears. If you have the attention span and learning style for this type of presentation, you will succeed. If you learn better through reading or doing, you may want to supplement video-based online classes with additional research.