How to Succeed in an Online Class

Online courses vary depending on the teacher and subject, but there are some principles that can help you achieve success in any online class. Go in prepared to work at least as hard as you would in a regular class and you will come out smelling like a rose.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dedication

1. Read everything the teacher posts
   
   Experienced online professors will have likely streamlined the process of teaching a class; they usually don't post a whole lot of information that isn't important. Read the syllabus and all the rules of the class so that you know what to expect.

2. Print things out
   
   Your entire semester will be planned out for you from the first time you log in. Take advantage of this! Go in and print out a list of your assignments and their due dates. Put it on your fridge or somewhere else that you will see it often; it helps to be constantly aware of what you have to do and by when since you may not log into the class all that frequently.

3. Stay on top of things: do the work!
   
   Some people think that since a course is online it must be a joke; this is simply not true. You are covering the same material as a regular class, just in less time and you will essentially be teaching yourself. If you do not stay motivated and actually do the work, you WILL suffer in an online class. There's no teacher in the room to hold your hand on your journey through the class.

4. Take discussion board posting seriously
   
   Almost all online classes will have some sort of discussion board in an attempt to simulate some form of classroom interaction. There will usually be weekly assignments that involve you responding to a question and then responding to your classmates' responses. These will be graded, so take them seriously and show that you have put some thought into it. Using internet slang and abbreviations is a surefire way to lose a few points, so don't do it; use proper grammar.

5. Don't be afraid to contact the teacher
   
   Online classes can feel very impersonal; so many students hesitate to contact their teacher if they don't understand something. Without class time to explain assignments properly, misunderstandings occur frequently online, so DON'T be afraid to E-mail your teacher if you want some clarification, otherwise you could lose points for doing something wrong. That being said, most teachers will include a format to use when E-mailing them that tells you what to put in the subject of the message. Teachers can be very stingy about this, so make sure you format your E-mail properly!

6. Close out of programs when testing
   
   This isn't an issue if you have to test on campus, but if you are taking a test online, make sure that you have closed all unnecessary programs so that they can't cause any problems and close out your browser while taking a test. If the browser closes during a test, you will become locked out and need to ask your teacher to unlock you.

7. Don't complete assignments at the last minute
   
   This is true for any class, but it has new importance in an online class. If you are taking a test at 10 PM and it's due by midnight, when something goes wrong you will not have time to get your teacher to help you, resulting in a big fat zero! So make sure that you schedule enough time to deal with an emergency.

Tips & Warnings

• Start on assignments early
• Actually purchase the class materials
• Some teachers will require you to send your assignments in as different file formats; make sure that you know how to do this before it's time to turn the assignment in.

[MommyTeach]

on 12/7/2009 One more thing to add- Make sure you communicate with your professor. There was a time I turned in an assign on the deadline and days later I noticed I had an F. I couldn't understand it so I contacted my prof. and he said he never received my work. It turned out to be a site glitch of the school and in reality my paper was an A paper and my grade was promptly changed. 5*

[MyJB]

on 12/5/2009 Good basic information to have on hand. Thanks. 5*

[maddiness]

on 11/29/2009 This is great advice. I'm enrolled in all online courses this term and it can be a challenge to remember everything. I bought a weekly planner and wrote in all my deadlines at the beginning of classes so that I wouldn't forget any assignments. It's been really helpful for me.

[ajmaddox]

on 11/24/2009 Great tips. Visit the class every day! Things change quick online, and information is posted often. 5*

[saucywriter]

on 11/22/2009 Great article! Well written, good steps/suggestions. Most seem very common (or uncommon) sense, but the way you've put them right out there in writing & in logical order makes more of an impression. 5*