How to Prepare for an Online Course
Many people are taking courses to enhance their career possibilities or to improve skills for their existing job. And the majority of people are taking continuing education courses online. But how do you prepare? Here are some ways to get ready to enter the cyber classroom.
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Instructions
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Familiarize yourself with the learning management system. Does your school use Blackboard or WebCT? Desire2Learn? Angel? E-College? Even though all the systems have similarities, they also have significant differences. Before class starts, log on and make sure that you understand where everything is located. Explore how to submit assignments and get grades.
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Purchase books and materials. Before that very first lesson, you should have already skimmed through any course materials to familiarize yourself with things. Remember, assignments come at you fast and you'll have to be self-disciplined (in many cases) to do a lot of reading. Get your materials in before the assignments start to pile up!
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Time your timing. Think about times when you can fit in schoolwork and online assignments. If you work during the day, you may find time in the early morning or late at night to devote to classes. Have some sort of idea when you're going to fit things in--and take into consideration deadlines for classes too. This will help you fit in family, work and personal obligations with school.
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Say hi. Because you don't have that classroom to socialize in anymore, many people take advantage of online discussion to post a quick introduction about themselves. It helps you to form acquaintances with classmates--and your professor--because you never know when you'll need to reach out to someone. It's better to have that foundation in place from the start!
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid addressing your instructor too informally, such as using his or her first name!
Stay on track by setting goals. Find small ways to reward yourself when you've achieved them!
