How to Succeed as an Online Student

In this faltering economy, many people are attempting to upgrade their resumes by enrolling in universities offering online courses and degree programs.  Among the schools offering degree programs strictly over the internet, there are some colleges or universities that require their students to work in virtual teams (that is with teammates that they have never met face to face). For some, working without face to face contact with the instructor or classmate can be a little disorienting and disconcerting. However, for others, learning through virtual teams is a perfect match for their personalities. Regardless of your personality you too can succeed in online courses. In July 2006, I joined the throng in pursuit of an MBA in Global Management which I successfully completed in the shortest possible time. My personal experience with classwork through the internet has been extremely positive and motivating; so much so that I recently enrolled in a Ph. D. program. This article discusses some tips on how to succeed in online learning.

 The first tip to succeed in online learning is to read the syllabus at the earliest possible moment. Each class syllabus outlines the guidelines and assignments due for the entire course. This is your road map for navigating the course successfully. Read every line and put deadlines on your calendar.

 Most online colleges and universities engage their students in team-based learning. This means you will be placed in a team of three to six members and assigned one to three team projects. The university I attended required each group to write out a team charter that defined how the team would operate and settle any disputes. The only way to get on the same page with your groupmates is to make contact with them as early in the class as allowed by your instructor. If you wait until a couple days before a project is due, you'll find yourself extremely frustrated.

Obviously, working in teams can be a little frustrating, especially when the work is divided and the grade is the same whether each member does their part or not. If the project is not completed on time, you will be marked down no matter who is at fault. So you can kick and scream, whine and shout, and write nasty letters in 36 point font with exclamation points until you see red, but the grade will be just the same if the work is not done on time. In my personal experience, only once in 15 courses that included over 30 team projects did a team not finish a project satisfactorily. One of the reasons for our success was I decided ahead of time that I would assume the best of my virtual buddies and step in if it looked like the work was not going to be done on time. What I mean is that I would say to myself, "oh such and such has not posted a response for a couple days, they must be having problems with their computer or internet connection. That's no problem; I'm glad to help out." I also used to have a little dancing smiley icon next to my name to lessen the seriousness of my posts in order to show that I believed in the team and things would work out. If you take the high road, assume the best of your groupmates, and take the posture of a servant, you will have a positive online learning experience, too.

This tip is rather obvious but I know by expereince that when I started skipping assignments my grade suffered accordingly. So tip number four is complete all the assigned work on time. Most online degree programs cost a hefty penny and so it blows my mind why someone would slam down all that dough or acquire all that debt only to fail a class or worse yet be dismissed from the program. No doubt life happens, but you must count the cost and give it your all to make every penny worth the sacrifice. In order to get the work done and on time plan ahead; slot out the time on your calendar; and keep the date. If you have to forego a little sleep, do it. Keep your promise to your groupmates and to yourself to do the work you said you would do.

Most online courses include weekly writing assignments of various lengths. Since writing well is so vital to the success of an online student, learning how to write well is an imperative. One of the ways to learn how to write well is to run your assignments through proofreading sites. Most internet-based programs have links to such sites and some even require the student to submit a second proofread copy.