Your success in online learning depends entirely on you. Instructors and resources are readily available, but it is your responsibility to make the best of the experience. No pressure, right? Following simple yet effective time management and organizational habits will greatly improve your higher education experience, online or otherwise.

[Setting Up Great (and Successful) Study Habits]

Enter your program gradually so you can feel out what fits into your life and once you are comfortable, maintain that balance with some helpful tips from your academic advisor. You’ll notice that a lot of the recommendations overlap, which must mean we’re onto something worthwhile!

[related: Top 5 Questions an Online Student Should Ask Their Academic Advisor]

1. Keep an agenda.
   In the online setting, tangible reminders of assignments are hard to come by. We don’t walk or drive to class and we don’t see our professors writing notes on the board. While this saves time spent getting ready and money for transportation costs, distance education is a tougher setting to physically connect with. Your campus, classmates, and often course materials are on the screen in front of you. A simple way to help bridge the distance is with an agenda that holds all the pertinent information you will need to succeed. Getting into the habit of physically writing down assignments and notes helps cement the information. Even writing down what habits work for you in an agenda will be that one extra thought to motivate you to keep up the good work.
2. Take advantage of the setting.
   An online classroom holds a much more diverse population than you’d find in a traditional classroom. Online learners are often pursuing their education virtually to best accommodate busy lives and careers. Use the flexibility of the online environment to your advantage. The syllabus and assignments are available to you as soon as the class opens; plot out the course by prioritizing assignments, breaking down your schedule, submitting work ahead of schedule if you have time and know you won’t later, and utilizing online resources. Online advisors and instructors are aware of their unique student population so don’t hesitate to contact them for help navigating through unexpected hurdles that interfere with your academic plan.
3. Utilize resources.
   Taking courses online includes assignments and instructors; however it also comes with a wealth of resources. Most institutions have extensive online libraries, tutoring services, student and alumni centers, and much more. Too often students run into last minute, high stress situations and only then contact the necessary outlets. If you familiarize yourself with the campus and resources preemptively, you will be better off when problems arise. Browsing library resources can especially benefit your coursework because there is always an article or database with new information that may be relevant to a paper or project you could be working on.

Being an involved, self-motivated student requires hard work. Subscribing to quality work and time management habits will make it easy and the proof will be found in a high GPA and in seamless academic progress. Your online university is created to allow for a quality, flexible higher education experience so do yourself a favor and tap into all the wonderful resources out there!

By Emily Ludeman
Academic Advisor at American Public University

With all of the course options available in post-secondary education nowadays, choosing a specific course can feel like a lesson in opportunity cost. It’s like when I go to my favorite restaurant with an extensive menu—all the choices! I end up being one of those guys. I change my order if someone else orders the same dish. Why? Because, like most people, I enjoy a diverse selection and I never want to narrow my choices. That’s assuming others are willing to share.

Read the full story

Have you thought about going to college? Are you unsure if it’s the best choice or the right time for you? Do you have questions about admissions, student culture, or technology requirements? When someone decides to jump into higher learning, it can be an eye-opening and sometimes overwhelming experience. It’s okay. Take a deep breath and relax—you’re about to embark on a rewarding journey. This is not a choice that should be made quickly. It requires a little research, self-assessment, and firm goal setting. Here are a few reasons people choose to enroll:

• Achieve qualifications that employers require for specific jobs.
• Enjoy the sense of accomplishment and respect that comes with having an associate, bachelor’s, or graduate degree.
• Increase your potential to earn more on the job.
• Join a community of people just like you, who appreciate lifelong learning.
• Satisfy your thirst for knowledge about a particular study or about many disciplines.

Just remember, people of all ages and walks of life choose to bolster their careers, enhance their earning potential, and achieve their educational goals by getting an advanced degree.

[Considering online learning? Read, "Online University—Is if Right for Me?"]  

By Online Learning Tips Staff

Stay in touch by reading up about the world of e-learning

There are numerous websites for you to tap that have scholarly research, theories, best practices, current trends, and discussions all based around the rapidly growing world of distance education. You don’t realize how far the rabbit hole goes until you’ve stepped into it. Visiting these ‘educational’ websites are great for staying on top of new technology in the classroom, best practices for learning, news and events for online schools, and much more.

This list is a great compilation of universities and e-learning advocates provided by another distance learning proponent World Wide Learn:

• Educational Pathways
  • This newsletter delivers in-depth interviews with individuals in distance and online learning in higher education. A part of the American Library Association and the Distance Learning Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries.
• Technological Horizons in Education (T.H.E.) Journal Online
  • This resource provides webinars, snapshots of what other students are doing across the country, trending news in online education, innovative learning conferences and more
• The Virtual University Gazette
  • This newsletter has breaking news and expert insight into the world of online learning. It’s a free e-newsletter with articles and stories about the role of online learning in adult and continuing education. It also shares issues connected with the merge of industry and university environments.
• Journal of Distance Learning Administration
  • A quarterly electronic journal that publishes manuscripts from practitioners and researchers who work in the field distance education management. Published by the State University of West Georgia, this resource is a great background for what educators and administrators are doing in e-learning today.
• The Chronicle of Higher Education
  • Updated daily, and offering readers news related to online education and higher learning.
• Contemporary Issues in Technology & Teacher Education (CITE)
  • This publication is provided the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education  and published by the Association for the Advancement of Computer in Education (AACE).

Sign up for one of these newsletters, or subscribe to their feeds. It’s one way to keep connected to the e-learning community. Coming soon, OnlineLearningTips.com will be providing online learners with a monthly e-newsletter to stay on top of trending topics in e-learning, the latest technology, and what’s happening in the twitterverse. Stay tuned!

-By J. Mason