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Online Learning: Deciding Whether it is Right For You

With the advances in modern technology, it is now easier than ever to enroll in online educational experiences. The question is, is it right for you? When assessing this question, it’s important to keep in mind your goals, personality, job, family life, transportation accessibility, and more. The above video goes over a few myths to online learning, which is something else too consider. Many times you will hear people say things such as, “it’s online so it will be easier,” but after watching this short clip you will come to realize that is just one of many myths that society has come to associate with online learning platforms.
Questions to ask yourself:
  • Are you intrinsically motivated?
  • Do you know how to research for academic purposes?
  • Are you familiar with basic technology tools (word, powerpoint, email, Skype, etc.)?
  • Do you prefer lecture style courses, or reading on your own?
  • What hours are you available for taking courses? How many hours a week can you devote to studying for these courses?
  • Do you have transportation to school? The library? Studying locations?
  • Are you willing to reach out to professors online? Or do you want to extra support of meeting face to face every week?
  • How much money do you have saved for your education? Do you plan to take out a loan? Apply for scholarships?
  • How many hours a week will you be working? What are your regular work hours?

Depending on how you answered these questions, you may find that online learning will suit you, or you may realize that you work better in a class setting. There is no “better” answer to any of these questions, and there is no “better” format of leaning. The best format is the one in which you will most benefit. As long as you find a respectable program, online or in-person, your degree will be just as valid as any other. The most important aspect when investing in your education is going to be how that program will enhance your knowledge, future, career, etc. so make sure to thoroughly analyze all of your options before coming to a conclusion on what type of learning platform you enroll in.

Online Learning: Academic Tools

When it comes to online tools there are so many to choose from it can get overwhelming trying to decide on what will work best for you. Here you will see mentioned some of my favorite, and highly rated, online tools. It’s worth noting that when it comes to finding useful online tools you should have some idea before you start searching as to what you need the tool to do for you. Whether you need help planning, organizing, taking notes, reading, writing, etc. it’s important to keep this in mind in order to get the most effective online tool to ultimately enhance your learning experience.

Online Note-Taking:

  • Evernote
  • OneNote
  • MindMap
  • Google Keep
  • Bear
  • Quip

Online Scheduling:

  • Trello
  • myHomework
  • Plan
  • Any.do
  • Google Now
  • Todoist

Language, Literature and Grammar:

  • OWL
  • Turn It In
  • Essay Info

YouTube Channels:

  • Khan Academy
  • CrashCourse
  • TED
  • College Info Geek

Overview of Online Tools for Overall Productivity:

Online Learning: Academic Tips

Online learning requires just as much hard work, dedication, and persistence as attending on campus courses, and in some cases maybe even more. In order to stay on top of you studies it’s crucial to make the learning experience personal, and one in which will help you get the most out of your courses. Below you will find tips on just how to do so!

Create an Effective Learning Environment:

This is an essential component when earning your degree online because you do not have the accountability of showing up to class each day. In order to do your best work, what type of space do you need? Often times setting up a separate home office/library is useful. If you don’t have an extra room to spare, try creating a space in an area of your home that you’re comfortable in. Setting up a desk with some organizational features to keep your work sorted, and the basic necessities for when you’re studying such as pens, highlighters, a printer, paper, etc. can increase your productivity and efficiency. What type of furniture is most conducive to your learning? Some people may prefer to read on a nice comfortable couch, while others find that puts them in a slumber. Are you someone who gets hungry while you’re working hard on your studies? Create a space for snacks and water at your desk, or wherever you end up working so that you don’t waste time walking to the kitchen every 10 minutes. Another possibility is that you may enjoy going to a library, coffee shop, or restaurant to stay focused. If you’re home environment is somewhat chaotic this can be especially useful. I recommended finding a few places that are easily accessible to you (check the hours as well in case your a late night studier) so that you always have a place to escape to if you’d like. If this is your go to environment I also suggest having a bag packed with necessities as mentioned above, maybe a few dollar in cash for food or drinks while out as well, so that you don’t risk forgetting anything when you leave the house!

Set Aside Specific Time for School Work:

Many people who choose to partake in online education also find that they have rather busy schedule, either working, taking care of the family, or so on. It’s important to remember that while online learning offers flexible hours, you are often still required to submit assignments by a certain due date, and the courses themselves are just as challenging as if you were attending in-person classes. Therefore, making a habit of completing your work at certain times will ensure that you stay on track each week. It can be beneficial to review your responsibilities for the upcoming week, write those in a planner or online calendar, and then review what your course load for the week looks like. From there, you can assess how much time you want to set aside for school work for the week, and then you can schedule that into your planner or online calendar as well. You can also use the information to inform others, for instance if you live with roommates or family, so that they know not to interrupt if you’re at home studying.

Continually Evaluate Yourself:

With online learning it is especially crucial to keep checking in with yourself honestly about how your course work is going. Do you really understand the material, or are you just barely grasping it? Have you done every reading, or are you winging the exams? Since you aren’t meeting with a professor or classmates every week, even though you may communicate online, it can be tempting to just quickly complete assignments, or to move on when you don’t understand something. However, this is your education at stake, and it’s important to keep your overall motivation and goals in mind. Is this getting you closer to the degree you want? Your dream job? If you applied for a job after you graduated would you be able to effectively implement the material you are currently studying?

Set Long Term and Short Term Goals:

Using an online platform for education requires continual intrinsic motivation, since you don’t have someone there with you every day to tell you what needs to be done, and setting goals is an effective way to keep up this drive. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. When working out what your long term and short term goals are, it is important to keep this acronym in mind. Without the proper goals it’s easy to get off track in the minutia of everyday life. Not only do goals help us to progress in whatever area the goal is pertaining too, but they also keep us striving for more. Make sure to set aside time at the beginning of each term to assess what you want to take away from each of your courses, go over the assignments and determine what your goals are for grades, communication, etc. and then break down your goals in to long term and short term categories. The long term goals will likely be more career and life related, whereas the short term goals require less time to achieve, however they are aimed at getting you towards those long term goals. For example, a short term goal could be to study one hour every day for you biology class so that you aren’t cramming for your exams, with the long term goal of earning an A in the class, and an even longer term goal of graduating with honors.