How to be Successful in Online Courses
Online learning is an intimidating part of college, from the self-paced nature to often varying degrees of workloads, online courses can sometimes be harder than even the most rigid in person classes. Despite this, online courses have excellent pros. The time commitment is less demanding than in person courses and the courses do not have meeting times allowing a student to balance a full-time job or other responsibilities in tandem with the pursuit of their degree. Western Wyoming Community College (Western) offers several degree paths that can be achieved almost entirely online, including a Bachelors in Business Management.
The versatility of online courses makes the prospect of pursuing an online degree an attractive option for students with other full-time obligations. Other advantages to online learning are the cost effectiveness, where you can save costs by not needing to spend money on gas, housing and food. Online courses do not come without some challenges. The main obstacle is the self-paced nature, where it can be easy to fall behind from procrastination or improper time management. The key to being successful in online courses is to follow a set strategy and schedule.
"The key to being successful in online courses is to follow a set strategy and schedule."-— Kaleb Click
Utilizing planning tools such as your phone or even traditional pen and paper goes a long way in helping you keep up with major assignments such as essays, research papers or exams. Planning a set time during the week to dedicate purely to study or homework helps ensure you can stay on top of your studies without falling needlessly behind and avoids the potential of you failing the class and needing to repeat the course in the future. Creating a dedicated study space, such as one of the silent study rooms in the Hay Library for example, can help you focus on your studies.
While the pros of taking online courses are numerous and range from convenience to versatility that enable non-traditional students to earn a degree, these benefits do not come without some drawbacks. Some people may work better when classes operate on set schedules, which are absent in online classes. The self-paced nature of the courses mean that it is exceedingly easy to fall behind if you do not keep up with the material. Succeeding in an online course is done through the development of good time management, study skills and finding an environment conducive to learning.
