Online Learning Do’s and Don’ts
Online Learning Do’s and Don’ts: I’ve been there myself: I signed up for an online course at a university that promised both flexibility and structure, only to find out that professors don’t necessarily care about students’ performance (or lack thereof). As such, while I managed my workload fairly well at first, by the middle of semester it was clear that my grades were not going to be what they should have been—and it was all because of these common mistakes made by students who take online courses:
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Do get involved.
Here is a list of ways you can get involved in your online classes.
- Join a study group. You may find that working with other students on projects, assignments and tests is more effective than studying alone. If you’re struggling with an assignment or test, reach out to the professor or teaching assistant for help. They might be able to point you towards resources that will assist you in completing the task at hand.
- Get involved in the community of learners within your course by interacting directly with other students who are taking the same course as you or who have taken it before. This can be done through discussion boards and chat rooms where people ask questions about assignments/projects/tests etc., share ideas for interpretation/analysis of readings/videos etc., post announcements about upcoming events (eccentric but interesting speakers coming to campus soon? Social gatherings planned around holidays?).
- Join online discussions about topics related to what we are learning from our instructors’ materials (articles about current events; articles about relevant topics such as climate change, population growth etc.).
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Don’t rely on your professors to babysit you.
You can’t rely on your professor to babysit you. You need to take complete responsibility for your education, and that means setting aside time each day to study and learn the material. It’s also important not to expect professors to be available 24/7 by emailing them every time you have a question or concern—they’re there to help, but they can’t do your work for you.
In addition, don’t rely on others for assistance when it comes time for an exam or paper; make sure that you are capable of doing these things on your own before turning in the final product. The same goes for asking instructors if they will give a grade boost because of extenuating circumstances (such as an injury).
Do talk to other students.
- Communicate with your professors.
- Talk to other students.
- Use the discussion boards.
- Use social media to connect with other students
Do make a schedule.
- Make a schedule.
- Stick to it.
- The benefits of doing so are numerous: You’ll be more productive and organized, you’ll avoid unnecessary stress, and you can plan ahead for anything that comes up in your day. In addition to all this, it will help you focus on the task at hand instead of worrying about what’s coming up later in the week or month (or even year).
Don’t try to wing it without some sort of routine in place.
For some people, busy schedules, family commitments and other time constraints make it difficult to stick to a set routine. However, if you’re serious about your education and want to get the most out of your online learning experience, you need to put in this extra effort.
It may seem like a lot of work but once you have things in place it will be easier for you to manage your time effectively and keep up with everything that needs doing. Don’t try to wing it without some sort of routine in place.
Do join a study group.
A study group is a fun and effective way to get help with course material. You can learn from other students’ experiences, share your own, and help each other out with difficult assignments. As you work on the same assignments together, you’ll also be able to motivate each other as you strive towards your goals!
You may be tempted to form your own study group, but there are already plenty of options available online. There are many social media sites dedicated solely to helping students find other students that they can work with in order to grow their knowledge base and improve their grades.
It’s easy to get lost in the excitement of moving forward with your education, but don’t neglect your social life.
Make sure you stay connected with friends and family. It can be difficult to maintain relationships from a distance, but it’s also worth it. You might have more time on your hands than you’re used to, so find ways to spend time together that don’t involve just chatting over the phone or through text messages. For example: Try having everyone over for dinner sometime; take them out for lunch or coffee; invite them to go shopping or see a movie together; play video games together online (if they’re into gaming), etc.. Don’t forget about yourself either! Make sure you’re taking care of yourself physically, emotionally and mentally by eating well, getting enough rest/exercise/fresh air and being active in some way (i.e., going outside). Finally—and this is important—make sure not only that we get enough sleep but that we wake up early enough so we won’t keep ourselves awake at night thinking about work.
Don’t party or go out all the time, but don’t forget about your personal life.
You can’t live in a bubble and expect to succeed. You will need to make sure that you don’t neglect your social life and personal life too much, but at the same time, don’t forget about the important things like family and friends.
It is important not to party or go out all the time as this will take away from your studies. However, it is also important that you make sure that you do have some fun sometimes as well.
Don’t wait until the last minute to hand in assignments.
Your work is due at midnight tomorrow. You’re feeling pretty good about the final draft you’ve just submitted for your class, but then you realize that this is a real-time class and you need to complete the assignment according to your professor’s timeline.
You rush over to the computer lab hoping that someone is still logged into their computer. No luck. You try calling your professor at home; no answer there either.
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It’s easy to fall behind with online courses if you’re not careful, so try not to get caught off guard by these mistakes.
- It’s easy to fall behind with online courses if you’re not careful, so try not to get caught off guard by these mistakes:
- Make sure you have a plan and stick to it. Don’t try to do too much at once; instead, focus on one thing at a time.
- If anything is due soon, get started early on it so that you don’t forget about it later on in the semester. You can always work ahead as well!
- Don’t wait until the last minute to hand in assignments or take exams—this will only make things harder for yourself by forcing you into a panic mode where errors are more likely to happen and frustration sets in easily!
- And finally, remember: self-care is super important when taking online classes! Just because they’re online doesn’t mean they don’t require just as much effort as traditional ones do!
Conclusion
Online learning is a great option for people who want to get an education, but can’t afford to leave their jobs. However, it can be difficult if you don’t know what you’re doing. This article has given some pointers on how to avoid common mistakes and make the most out of your online coursework.
