What to Know Before Taking Online Courses

By Kaitlin Hurtado on September 18, 2017

The reasons behind taking an online course will vary. You might opt for an online course because it fits your hectic schedule more. It might be your last option when other classes are full or if you need to retake a class. When it comes to taking an online class for the first time, a lot of uncertainty may come when you are unsure of the workload and schedule that comes with an online course, and how they will differ from any other course.

Instead of worrying about how it will differ or how it can go wrong because you aren’t used to them, take the following tips into consideration to prepare yourself for your first online course.

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Prepare a space where you can concentrate

Because it is an online course, you will not have to physically be in a classroom or lecture hall. You won’t be surrounded by your peers as you are taught by a professor in person. Instead, you are going to be learning everything through a computer screen.

One thing you can do to better prepare yourself mentally to take an online course is to get yourself in a “classroom setting” in the sense that you are in a quiet environment that enables you to focus. Don’t sit in front of the television with your laptop to watch lectures or tap away at your phone as you “watch” the lectures.

Sit down in a space where you know you can watch lectures and do assignments without any distractions — a library, a study room, or your desk back at home.

You will encounter different types of lectures

Online courses will offer differing types of lectures depending on the course. Some lectures may just be uploaded PowerPoint presentations made by a professor. There may be recorded voice lectures to go along with the PowerPoint presentations or even a video of a recorded lecture of the actual professor teaching.

You may find it harder to follow along with a recorded lecture or to pay attention to a recorded lecture, so it is important to prepare yourself mentally for each lecture by taking away distractions (background noise, phones nearby) to put complete focus on the lectures. If you find yourself struggling to pay attention, force yourself to take notes as you get through the lecture — you get to form your own study material while digesting the information being taught into your own words for later use.

Make time for your online course(s)

Online courses may be more flexible than your typical class, but the same flexibility can make it harder for you to fall behind. Instead of trying to just finish the work for your online course when you find the time, put time aside just as you would for a regular class. Plan out time to watch lectures and take notes, time to study notes, and time to finish any assignments. By putting time aside, you are less likely to forget about small assignments.

Try to steadily go through lectures instead of binge-watching them or skipping them altogether. You won’t overwhelm yourself with a lot of information and you will also have time to focus on individual lectures/lessons instead of looking at the entire course days before a big exam.

They are not necessarily “easy” 

Regardless of your initial reason to take a class online, the word “online” may make you happy if you think it is easier than a typical class. Yes, the class is going to be more flexible than a typical class that you need to be present in a lecture hall for. Yes, you can “go to class” in pajamas with no judgment from anyone at all. But, the class is still going to make it on your transcript and affect the rest of your studies.

Do not skip studying because you think you can always rely on your lectures, notes, and other study materials when you are at home for both assignments and exams. While no one is in the room with you physically while you take an exam, you still will be monitored just as strictly, if not more strictly, than a regular course.

During an online exam, you are connected to an online exam proctor, who monitors your background and your computer monitor. You can’t try to sneakily switch internet tabs or look down at notes when a proctor is focusing on you and only you rather than a classroom or lecture hall full of other exam takers.

You also need to be more self-aware of your personal study habits and your “classroom behavior.” You will have to force yourself to keep to a schedule and make sure your assignments get done on time and you need to be able to focus during lectures by yourself.

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