If you’ve been wondering if online learning is right for you: you aren’t alone! It’s a convenient choice for busy adults wanting to earn an online bachelor’s degree and a viable option for students with health concerns who can’t attend a traditional college. However, distance learning doesn’t mean “easy” – here are a few things to keep in mind as you weigh whether or not online college will work for you.
derekGavey / Derek Gavey
Independent – Chalk it up as one more reason why high school is different from college, in that college professors don’t really do a lot of hand-holding when it comes to getting your work done and turned in. Some won’t ever mention due dates (they will be on the semester’s syllabus) – which closely resembles the way online college works.
Internet Connection – This might sound like a no-brainer, but if you don’t have either a stable internet connection or any internet connection at all: forget it! There are no excuses in college and being unable to turn in your assignment because your internet went down again or because you couldn’t make it to the library’s computer just won’t cut it. The speed of your internet connection is important too – if it takes hours to upload or download the smallest document, you might want to upgrade your internet. In fact, some online college programs have computer system requirements!
Organized – There’s a lot of work involved in online college, probably much more than you are planning on. To keep it all straight, you are going to need to be able to stay organized, to get done what needs to get done, and to stay on top of upcoming deadlines all at the same time. Your organizational ability will keep you from falling behind.
Typing Speed – Okay, so no one will tell you that you need to be a speedy typist to enroll in college classes online, but it definitely helps! If you type one letter at a time, you may want to consider learning how to type before you enroll. It will save you plenty of grief in the long run!
greenasian / Chrystal Parsons
Time Management – As an online learner, it’s a likely assumption that you’ve got more going on than just college classes, like a career, health, and/or family concerns. Knowing how to manage your time and having or improving study habits will play a big role in your online success! You will have limited time to get things done and possessing the ability to figure out what needs to be done first (and do it efficiently) will go a long way in reducing your stress (and improving your grade).
Motivated – Can you hit the books (or ebooks) without someone reminding you that you need to? If procrastination is a word frequently used to describe you, you may have trouble in an online environment. With no one telling you what to do or how to do it, you’ll need to find ways to stay motivated on your own.
