Online Education: 10 Tips for Distance Learning

Starting your degree program is exciting! You're excited to meet new people, excited to learn new things, and excited to have that piece of paper (and hopefully more money) in your hand. Then, reality sets in and you realize that going back to school takes a lot of hard work, motivation, and clear focus on your short, mid-term, and long-term goals. I've shared here Online Education: 10 Tips for Distance Learning. These tips can be helpful for any new student but where written especially for the distance learning programs.

1. Decide to be committed: If you've already enrolled, you are already putting yourself on this path. If you haven't enrolled, you need to make sure you have the time and focus to work hard and study consistently. This isn't something that happens over night for most people, but something that takes practice and constant reminders about why you are at school and what you hope to accomplish.

2. Develop strong study habits from day one: You need to have a clear view of your existing responsibilities and how school will fit into your schedule. You need to be realistic about the time you have to study so you can sustain all of your responsibilities. Write out your schedule during your first class. Identify your best times to study, and then set out to decide what you need to cover each day. It's more important to know what you need to cover each day than it is to have the same four hours every day.

3. Use your support network: Ever heard 'strength in numbers?' Well, it's true; life is better and you are more effective when you have the support of people around you. This is never more important than when you go back to school. Even if you don't have support from your family or friends, use the folks in class and the faculty/student resources at your school as your support network. These people have or have had educational goals just like yours. They will push you, pull you, and prod you when you can't seem to do it on your own.

4. Attending school online isn't easier: There is a very common misconception that online study is easier than the local equivalent. For some that could be the case, but for most getting out of bed or off of the couch seems to be just as hard if not more difficult than driving to campus each day. Something about the warm glow of the T.V. and the oh so inviting cushiness of the couch can really be distracting. Also, your teacher can't yell at you to wake up when you doze off in class.

5. Use your work ethic as a way to measure your study ethic: If you turn in a half completed project at work, you don't expect praise and a promotion. Likewise, if you turn in a half completed project at school you shouldn’t expect a passing grade. Use the same 110% work ethic in school that you hold yourself accountable for at work. Your grades will reflect that and you will get the most for your education dollar.

6. Read your instructor's entire syllabus right away: The syllabus is usually the rule book for your class. You can think of it like a contract between the instructor and yourself. It should have all assignments listed up front to help you plan ahead. If it doesn't, consider reporting this to your school as an academic concern. It's only fair that you know what is expected from you up front. It is also only fair that you take the time to read this completely and ask questions if things aren't clear.

7. Think positively about teams: Somewhere along the line, you're probably going to be in a team of students working on a collective project. You might think 'why should my grade depend on the group's work?' Chances are you have had a bad team experience at work, and would like to avoid a repeat. While you can avoid teams for a while, you can't avoid them forever. Learn to work on a team, learn to deal with inevitable conflicts, and learn to be positive about the opportunities to grow you'll have from team work.

8. Ask questions often and early: In an online setting, sometimes it takes up to 24 hours to get an answer to your question. If an instructor doesn't offer a phone number, you need to be ahead of the game with questions in order to avoid being caught with a last minute question on your assignment. Look ahead, anticipate the questions you'll have, and then get them into your classroom or to you instructor's inbox sooner rather than later. This simple step can save you stress and improve your grades. Be curious often.

9. Do the assignments: This might seem like a no brainer, but sometimes I am amazed at how many students simply fail to send the work. I know there are different reasons for this: didn't see the assignment, something came up, forgot, just didn't feel like it today, etc... The simple fact is that you cannot pass a class without doing the work. In the grand scheme of things, are you really going to miss the three to four hours of T.V. you traded to skip an assignment? If it is a personal situation, always contact the instructor before the deadline. This shows that you were paying attention and thinking ahead. They are much more likely to be understanding this way than if you contact them after the assignment due date with an excuse.

10. Enjoy yourself, be kind to yourself, and be forgiving of others: Everyone in your class is in a similar situation with school. They all have other responsibilities and things they'd like to or rather being doing. Give your assignments a personal spin to make them exciting. Forgive yourself your mistakes and then get back in there and keep trying. Also, be patient with your classmates; they are learning how to deal with all of the new material and challenges just like you are.

Are you just starting your distance larning program? Do you have some tips for others in the same spot? Maybe you're halfway through your online education and disagree or agree with my points. I'd like to hear from you. I hope you enjoyed my Online Education: 10 Tips for Distance Learning. Please comment below to let me know what you thought, and with any of your own tips.