You know in life, when you make decisions for the first time, there are always a few things that you regret because it’s your first time making such a decision.
Before taking an online course for the first time, there were things I wish I had been told before registering and starting that course.
today, I am putting this article out there so you don’t be as foolish as I am and make the same mistakes that I did.
Before we proceed, let’s explain some basic terms.
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What Is Online Learning?:
What is Online Learning? Online learning is education that takes place over the Internet. It is often referred to as “e- learning” among other terms. However, online learning is just one type of “distance learning” – the umbrella term for any learning that takes place across distance and not in a traditional classroom.
This type of learning eliminates the need for the daily gathering of students and teachers in a designated space but instead gives students the freedom and flexibility to control their learning.
Things I Would Wish I Knew Before Taking An Online Course
1. You Would Need Plenty Of Discipline
People often opt for online classes due to less stress, studying from the comfort of their room and more flexibility. However, it is very easy to get carried away and push all your assignments, studying and catching up on the back burner for a while.
Due to not being in a traditional classroom setting where the professors are physically demanding assignments and issuing deadlines, it is easy to procrastinate and then be in a rushed time crunch when assignments are now being demanded.
I wasn’t aware that one would need plenty of this thing called self-discipline to do schoolwork before it’s due as if I were in a normal classroom.
- TIME MANAGEMENT IS A LIFE SKILL:
In addition to self-discipline, if you can’t successfully pair it up with time management, you’re failing the entire equation.
The importance and the reason why students prefer online classes is the time flexibility, you don’t have to be in a time constraint as compared to a regular classroom, however, you would need to allocate your time properly in order to have enough time for other and time for other activities that a traditional classroom couldn’t grant.
- YOUR EFFORT IS EQUAL TO YOUR GRADES:
Unlike the traditional classrooms whereby merely attending the class, listening to the professor and participating in group projects, you may gather enough knowledge to pass a test, in an online school format, it is not so.
In other words, whatever you sow, is what you reap. If you put in the effort during your study and make the best our your study material, it would reflect in your grades.
However, if you continue to procrastinate and place it on your back burner, it would also reflect on your grades.
You need to put in the amount of effort you want to see reflected in your grades.
- TECHNOLOGY IS THE KEY;
Personal computers, phones, or tablets could all be involved in online courses. In fact, you cannot access online courses without technological gadgets.
Your gadgets must be internet supported and reliable because you need to stay connected to be able to learn.
You need to take out time and learn how to find your way through the courses before the commencement of the class. This is because they are all designed in different formats and accessing them differs from course to course.
You will need to ascertain if your school has reliable resources for distance learning too.
- GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR PROFESSOR IS IMPORTANT:
You’re probably thinking that being an online student, your contact with your professors and other teaching staff would be limited right? You’re absolutely correct.
Nevertheless, it is still highly important that you form a cordial relationship with them. You need to reach out to him or her and get to know each other on a basic level. Creating this relationship will help you to reach out once you encounter any challenge with your course. Send an email to him or her at the commencement of the lectures. Address him by his formal title, give a little introduction of yourself and let him know how excited you are to be under his tutelage. This will keep the relationship rolling and before the end of the class, you will be glad you did.
The professors teaching online courses are also involved in traditional classes. The only difference is that you can only get in touch with them via online platforms like discussion boards, emails, and lecture sessions.
- Online Course MAY REDUCE COSTS:
When there is no need to hop on buses and taxis, or any other means of constant daily transportation, your expenses would be cut into half as transportation, if you are living far from campus, it may be a big factor in your weekly or monthly expenditures.
But when the classes can be held from your room, you save more money by not having to incur the transportation obligations that you would usually have if you were learning in a physical classroom.
- YOU NEED TO MAKE NOTES WHILE CLASSES ARE GOING ON:
Although most students while learning online often neglect their notes or sometimes scribble a word or two on an electronic notes app, this is wrong.
Don’t think there is no need for that because you can always revisit the class.
Your notes will be very handy and helpful during examinations. You could cut yourself off the stress of going through the whole session in order to study your online course. With your notes, you can prepare yourself for the exams. By disciplining yourself, you can jot down good points on the go.
Most importantly, it is advised that despite your style of learning, you should ensure to take physical notes because they help your cognitive memory in remembering things in clear detail which would be a blessing during exams.
- ONLINE CLASSES DOESN’T MAKE IT EASIER;
While there are so many benefits of taking online course, it doesn’t automatically eliminate the stress of acquiring education or new knowledge
It reduces some considerable physical stress, but the strain on your brain is not moved at all because you would still have to read, memorise, do assignments, group projects and all the usual things involved in general education.
You should not go with the mindset of getting the easier or less stressful version of learning because that is not true.
Conclusion:
Regardless of how ease filled that online course is, it is also important that you create a good relationship with your colleagues and other staff in the university because every of your problem cannot be solved online and you would actually need people, physical people to assist you, so try to nurture a healthy relationship with people.
