Time Management

Because there is a lot of flexibility in your schedule while obtaining an online degree, it is very easy to get in trouble by not managing your time appropriately. You must be able to segment and dedicate time to studying and completing assignments. It’s important to know yourself: when are you most productive for studying? If you are working, does it make sense to focus on your course requirements before or after the work day? You must determine how to be most efficient in earning your degree and adhere to a corresponding schedule.

Part of managing your time includes managing the other aspects of your life. If you’re working, you’ll need to maintain a balance between your professional and educational obligations. If you have a family you will need to ensure you make appropriate time to spend with them. You might have to decline various invitations from friends and family to dedicate time to your studies.

Many find it best to create a schedule or calendar in advance and stick to it. Record how long various reading, writing and research assignments take and plan your future schedule accordingly.

The good news is that with an online degree you are able to set-up your own schedule. But to be successful you will have to spend some time planning your schedule out to ensure you have allotted enough time for all the things in your life including your new education obligations.

Self-Motivation

In many ways, an online degree is catered towards people with certain independent motivational skills that others may lack. In an online degree setting you will not have professors pushing you and challenging you; you will have to challenge yourself. Often in traditional university settings there are advisors and teachers that feel a great obligation in prodding you along, getting you to class, forcing you to participate. To be successful in an online college or university, you will have to push yourself and not rely on others for motivation.

Many people who get a postsecondary degree online often have a career already. If you are working full-time, you’ll need to be extra motivated to make the time before/after work or on weekends for your studies. Make sure and remind yourself why you are obtaining a degree often to keep your motivation levels high; the degree does help you in your life as described here.

Typically online students have a strong will to obtain higher education certification because they know very well how it will help their career and life. This willpower is essential in being successful in an online degree environment. Commitment will lead to your success with an online degree. Take responsibility for educating yourself and you’re likely to be successful in getting a postsecondary degree online

Create a Productive Learning Environment

Because a majority of people who take online courses already have a job and other obligations it is very important to be able to provide yourself with a good learning environment. This means you’ll need to set-up a schedule and just as importantly a place for you to do the reading, research, studying and writing needed to meet all requirements. Sometimes you’ll be able to have a stable, quiet study environment at your home. But if there are family, roommates, friends or pets nearby that cause a distraction you may not obtain your best levels of productivity. Make sure you find an appropriate location for studies if there are many such distractions in your life. Public libraries and cafes provide a good environment for many, but you’ll have to figure out what works best for you. To be successful you’ll have to be able to avoid constant distractions during study time.

Be Social – Always Ask!

As described in the How eLearning Works , an online education does not mean that you will be an anonymous student fulfilling requirements with limited interaction. You will need to interact with both your classmates and teachers in order to be successful. And one of the most important forms of interaction will include interfacing with your teacher directly about issues regarding your course. The good news is that unlike a traditional college or university, you won’t have to adhere to your teacher’s office hours; you can simply send an email and your teacher will normally get back to you within a day or two. You must be able to speak up when you don’t understand something, whether that involves a particular teacher, class or program question. Always make sure and participate. This can only help in your learning and create networking opportunities with fellow students and teachers for the future. Although you’ll be meeting people online, you are still meeting these people for the first time, so make an effort to be social and create friendships with classmates. Don’t be afraid to meet up with classmates and teachers outside of school (if geographically possible.)

Tools and Skills

Remember that you’ll need a reliable computer, quick and consistent internet connection and a phone line. It’s not a bad idea to have a back-up computer (maybe a friend of family member’s) that you can access in case yours breaks down or encounters issues that prevent you from getting work done. As most of your work will be done through the internet (sometimes all of it, depending on the course,) you’ll want to make sure that you have the physical equipment to be productive. There’s nothing worse than trying to get assignments done with a PC that has severe problems or a dodgy internet connection.

Successful students in online and offline universities alike need good reading comprehension skills in order to be successful in their degree studies. Especially for an online degree where most of the information you will receive is through email, forums or chat rooms, you will have to rely on reading texts and articles. You cannot rely on lecture hall notes – you’ll have to rely on the material you’re reading and studying. You will need to be careful in your reading and follow instructions fully to make sure you understand what is being asked of you.

One of the benefits of an online degree (PROS and CONS page) is that it will teach you a lot about how to research and find information on the internet. To be successful this is a skill that you must have a solid foundation on and desire to improve upon.

Email is an invaluable communication tool for interacting with your professor and fellow students but also for submitting assignments. So understanding and experience with email is very important. Check your email often, at least once every few days if not everyday. Another important aspect of email to remember is that because you will not be relying on face-to-face interaction your teacher and students will form opinions and perceptions of you through your emails. So put effort into communicating your thoughts clearly and concisely in emails.

Also, comprehension of spreadsheet, power-point and word processing software is also extremely useful in ensuring you’re successful as an online student, though these skills are just as important in traditional universities and colleges as well.

One related tip: Just because you’re online for your studies, try and prevent yourself from browsing the internet, looking at your favorite gossip or sports sites. You’ve probably already found out how many distracting websites exist on the internet that can suck your time away from your studies.