The most successful online student are self-motivated, efficient at managing their time and are also able to juggle several areas of their life at the same time.
Successful distance education students are effectively able to balance work and home life with taking online courses.
Tips for Being a Successful Online Student
Online or distance education is best suited to students that demonstrate certain important characteristics. The successful online student is self-motivated, self-disciplined and self-starting.
In addition the effective distance education student:
- Gets organized and stays organized.
- Reads and follows written directions.
- Learns effectively outside of the traditional Face-to-Face classroom.
- Keeps participating in a course that does not require regular Face-to-Face or in class attendance.
- Functions well with receiving input and feedback that is asynchronous (not immediate).
- Has basic knowledge of computers and the Internet.
- Is able to trouble-shoot technical difficulties.
- Communicates effectively, efficiently and politely in writing (email and discussion posts).
- Asks questions to clarify and answers questions of other students.
- Jumps in and participates in discussions without needing an invitation.
Juggling Home, Work and Online Classes
Success in online college courses usually requires that the online student can successfully manage home, work and school demands. Juggling all of these different aspects of life is easier when the distance education student gets organized at the beginning of the semester.
Effective juggling involves three key areas
- Being organized
- Time management
- A designated quiet time and zone for studying
Being organized involves making sure that course requirements are included in a calendar to ensure that work and course requirements get completed. Getting organized in the distance learning class is discussed further in "Tips for Getting Organized in an Online Course."
Time management involves setting aside or arranging for designated time to complete course tasks, assignments and exams. For online students who are also working, this may require taking days off at certain times during the course to complete work. For online students with children, this may include getting someone to help watch the children or completing coursework after the children are in bed.
Having a designated quiet area or zone to complete course work is also important. This would be a media-free, roommate-free, kid-free zone where the online student can focus on their course work.
Tips to Manage a Distance Education Course
Online instructors suggest these additional tips for managing online courses.
- Read everything. This includes the course syllabus, materials and directions.
- Organize course materials into files on the computer.
- Print out key materials – syllabus, course schedule – if needed as a visual aid.
- Determine a regular study schedule and stick to it.
- Ask questions. It is highly likely in an online course that other students have the same question or need directions or an assignment clarified.
- Answer questions for other students. Online students can be a big help to each other by clarifying assignments, instructions or offering solutions on technical issues.
Becoming a successful online student is not an impossible task. It does require adjusting to a different style and way of learning. The most successful online students are those who effectively manage their time, juggle several demands and start and stay organized to complete the work needed to make it through the online course successfully.
Resources
ION. 2007. What Makes a Successful Online Student? Illinois Online Network.
Tips for Learning Online. Getting Ready for Class. University of West Florida Online Campus.
Dyer KA. 2009. Tips for Getting Organized in an Online Course. Suite 101.
Kirsti A. Dyer - Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT is a respected physician, health educator, professor, author and lecturer.
