APU Careers & Learning Online Learning

Go Easy with Your First Online Course

If you are new to taking college courses online, the best advice you can take is to start easy at first, especially if you are not confident about the online option. While it is tempting to pile on the coursework, there is no harm in starting with a couple level 100 or 200 courses to get a feel for the experience.

Given that everyone must take general education courses, these are the easiest courses to tackle first. The following examples come from American Military University, but all colleges have similar equivalents.

[see also: How to Maximize Your Online Education Experience]

Students must take two basic history courses. Any of these will use all the basics of online learning including reading, research in the online library, essays, and message boards.

  • HIST101 – American History to 1877
  • HIST102 – American History since 1877
  • HIST111 – World Civilization before 1650
  • HIST112 – World Civilization since 1650
  • HIST121 – Western Civilization before The Thirty Years War
  • HIST122 – Western Civilization since The Thirty Years War

The two options for political science are a little lighter, covering topics that most students are already familiar with.

  • IRLS210 – International Relations I
  • POLS210 – American Government I

Again, if you are unsure if online learning is right for you, then start with only one or two courses at a time. This will help you get a feel for how much time can go into a course and what it will be like for you to juggle the load with the rest of your schedule.

By Scott Manning
Online Learning Tips, Student Contributor

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