One of the most common things people say when approaching an online class is that they lack the motivation to take one. Besides the obvious difference between an online class and a regular class in a classroom setting, another difference is that because in an online class you don’t have to attend any lectures and you’re just given due dates, you’re left to figure out on your own how to get it all done without set class days. This can be hard for some people. So let’s look at some helpful tips that could get you through an online class.
First, it is going to take some successful online student discipline. You’re going to want to make a schedule for yourself in order to make sure you participate in the class. With this it is going to help you make sure you get your assignments done on time. Secondly, you’re going to want to work on time management skills. Also, you want to have determination. If you aren’t good at the first two then with some determination you will get better and you will succeed.
It is also known to help if you can somehow connect with your classmates. This might sound hard since it is an online class but if they are near you, you could form a study group or you could form an online forum in order to hold each other accountable or even ask each other questions about the material. Another way to stay motivated is to discuss what you’ve learned. So this means explain to your family or your friends what you’re learning in the class, that way you can stay on top of the material and you know you’re not falling behind.
The last two ideas are just as important as everything else I’ve discussed. You should reward yourself when you’ve finished a task, turned in that assignment, or just for doing well in the class. And lastly take some time for fun. More than likely if you’re taking an online course it’s because you also have a full time job and don’t have the time to make it to a University for a class. This means you are taking on a lot of work and you are going to want to make sure you take that extra time for fun in order to re-group or else it might show in your work.
So really online classes aren’t that scary and no one should think that they lack motivation to take one. If you just stick with your determination and power through with these tips you should be just fine!
Have any of you taken online classes? What tips would you give to those that think they lack the motivation to one?
I have taken several online classes at Surry Community College before transferring to UNCC. This was very helpful because I played softball in college and I was on the road a lot during the season. I had to miss several days of class due to travel or having to get to home games early to warm up. I also liked taking online courses during the summer because I would hardly ever have to go to campus unless there was a test or speech to give. I wish that the Belk College would offer more online classes during the summer rather than having to attend school M-F. It is extremely inconvenient and makes it almost impossible to have a full time summer job and go to school. My advice for online classes is like any other, stay ahead on the material and when you have time to do your work, do as much as possible while you have the time.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you! I wish that the Belk College had more online classes during the summer as well. That's also how I've done my work is by getting as much done as I can or else it's easy to fall behind!
DeleteI have taken a few online courses, both through CPCC and UNCC. I personally prefer online courses over the summer. It is easier for me to work over the summer, without having to physically attend class everyday. I will agree, however, that it is sometimes a little more difficult to stay motivated to do online course work.
ReplyDeleteOne method I've found that works for me is to create and maintain a strict "online" schedule. Set aside a time each day to work on online course and stick to it - just as you would set aside time to attend a physical class each day.
Another point of advice is to study for an online test the SAME way you would a regular, in-class test. These tests are often timed, leaving you little to no time to search through text books and notes.
That's a very good point, the tests are often timed. I tried once to search through notes and you end up doing worse on the test than if you had just studied because you run out of time.
DeleteMotivation is crucial if one wants to succeed academically. By taking an online course, the learning experience seems to be, at least for me, a little more challenging than taking a course in a regular classroom setting. Depending on the course taken, this holds true, or it can just be a matter of a different perspective. But in the end, it's the student who will determine how useful or useless an online course is. As for me, I've taken a few courses online, and I think they are convenient and useful.
ReplyDeleteI think online classes have more advantages than disadvantages. My first two semesters in college, I used to take online classes, and I actually found it easier than the average class. The teacher would just email us the assignments and we were to have them completed by the deadline, and I did my homework when I had time. I think it also depends of what classes you take because there are some courses that could be complicated if you take it online. It depends on how skillfully the course is planned and facilitated and also how well you are prepared.
ReplyDeleteI received my associate degree at CPCC; I did about 70% of my classes online. I had to take online classes because I have a full time 9-5 job and the class times would never be convenient with my work schedule. It was hard sometimes (taking Biology with labs) and other times it was a breeze. The time management is the enemy, poor time management would definitely put you on track to fail. Personally, I set a schedule. At least two days per week that I did all my assignments and keep up to date with discussions as well as opportunities for extra credits. It worked in most cases. This blog that we are using is another example of how time will catch up on you and before you realize you haven’t posted a comment in 2 to 3 weeks (I am guilty). My new plan was to make all postings on Fridays as well as copied a shortcut to the blogger website on the home screen of my smartphone, not 100% success but on the right track. Awesome presentation!!!
ReplyDeleteI can see how some classes could really be more difficult than others to take online. But yeah setting specific days to do an assignment a week or like you said making things easier for you to get the assignments done help!
DeleteI have taken some classes online and well they weren’t bad. It definitely depends on the person and their study habits. They are great if you have a high self-discipline and you have full time job or live far from the desire campus. I think to some degree it also depends on the class. Some classes like English or writing classes, or classes that involve only memorization shouldn’t be too hard to take online. But, I don’t think it would be fun to take a math or any higher level course online. With online classes you should definitely stay on top of the material.
ReplyDeleteI like the staying connected with your classmates tip the best. This one worked the best for me when I had to take an online class. We could plan to meet together and work on classwork and help each other as though the class was not online but still had the convenience of working at our pace and meeting whenever was best for us.
ReplyDeleteFrom your article and the comments, I think they all are right. Strong motivation may not always be present depending on the class, but steady discipline must be there in order to stay on top of the course and its assignments. Online courses reveal areas in a student's life that may need some work (time management, diligence, communication, being prompt, etc.). It forces the student to be responsible. Although it can sometime be tough taking an online course, from personal experience, I believe it is worth it.
ReplyDelete(Good article. And great presentation last week!)
I took a lot of online courses in my associates degree and found out the hard way you can only manage the time you have! I took online courses because I did not have time due to a very busy full time job to take courses at the college. I learned my lesson the first semester of how hard it can be to do well in classes that you literally do not have the time to spend on. I think one of the most important things is to first estimate the amount of time you have per week to dedicate to a online course. Then find out what the teacher estimates the course taking you per week, although it will not be an exact science, it will help you decide if you can take on the workload. Other than that first semester I really enjoyed my online courses. It provided me with the flexibility to go at my own speed, not to be distracted as I get in classes, and to still be able to work.
ReplyDeleteThat is very good advice! Thank you for adding that Kristina!
DeleteI like that when I can take an online class it saves me time not having to drive on campus and I have a little more flexibility. The key to being successful is being disciplined to stay on top of your studies and getting the work done. If you're the type of person that struggles with staying focused completing class work at hom and need face-to-face instruction online classes wouldn't be for you.
ReplyDeleteThe flexibility of online course is great and convenient, but it is easy to forget or overlook things. Since there is nothing really “concrete” in online courses, a sense of a class must be created by the student. As others mentioned, the sense of schedule or routine is especially important. In my experience, making something “concrete” like scheduling 2 hours on certain days of the week just to study the class is definitely helpful. I agree a lot with the other comment mentioned forming a regular study group with nearby classmates; this is something really “concrete” when working on the class with other students in person.
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