Online community college courses are both a challenging and exciting experience. Whether you have taken online courses before or it's your first time, you can always use some extra tips to help you succeed academically. Online students who are prepared to obtain top grades will also find it easier to be able to cope with the demands of this phase of their lives.
To help you succeed, here are some tips on how to make the most of the experience. After reading this post, you will know how to improve the way in which you tackle your online college classes to ensure that you get the best results.
Basic Online Community College Course Tips
1. Motivation and discipline are integral parts of online learning – if you aren’t going to motivate yourself, who is?
2. Communicate clearly through your writing, since you’ll probably communicate solely through emails, letters and other forms of the written word, you need to be able to get your meanings, emotions and questions across in a clear, concise manner.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, especially if you are having difficulty understanding something about the course materials, the assignments that you have to submit or any other facet of the course.
4. Commit yourself for the entire duration of the course. You will need to set aside around 10 to 12 hours per week to work on your modules; you need to be sure that you are going to spend this time going through your work and submitting the relevant assignments and tests.
5. Since you are going to be working with a computer and the internet to get through the course, you need to be able to work efficiently with these tools.
6. Communicate regularly with your instructor.
Tips for Joining in on Debates or Conversations Online
7. Your opinions and ideas need to be expressed clearly through your messages; be sure to think about your responses, and once you have typed them out, read through them again before you send.
8. Read through the instructions carefully, and make sure that your language is appropriate for this type of situation.
9. When posting replies, add in a subject line so that others can join in on the conversation, or so that they understand which conversation you are replying to.
10. Don’t become distracted by comments or remarks; make sure that you stay on track of the discussion.
11. Be sure to log into the discussion board regularly; at least 5 days every week should be sufficient.
Netiquette and Communicating Online
Body language, facial expressions and the tone of your voice usually play a big part in helping someone understand what you are saying, as well as the undertones of your message. When communicating online, you will have a limited number of tools available to you in order to express your meaning and this can make it difficult to get your point across. Netiquette is the manner in which you convey messages online, and you can improve the clarity of your messages by taking note of these tips:
12. When you use CAPS, it implies that you are raising your voice; try to avoid these at all times.
13. When replying to a message, let the person know that you have read and understood their message by either briefly stating this or revising it in a few words before sending your reply.
14. If you are broaching a subject that might be viewed as controversial, use phrases such as “according to a professor at the…” or “I have experienced…”
15. Never allow yourself to reply to messages when you are angry, especially on an impulse. Remember, the words will remain online, even if you later decide that you would like to take them back. Rather take a deep breath, leave the computer for a while and come back when you are calmer.
16. Read through your messages before sending – this will help you identify any spelling or grammar errors which might be present.
17. Never reply to posts or messages with advertisements, as these will be considered as spamming and you might upset the other members.
Preparing for Exams and Assignments
Make yourself aware of the aims of the module (what you are expected to learn from the materials) and take note of the amount of work you will have to complete before the assignment or exam.
18. Read through all the materials provided to you for the assignment or exam.
19. Choose a comfortable study place.
20. Begin setting out a study schedule that you will follow in the weeks or months leading up to the test. Follow this rigidly.
21. When sending tests or assignments to the instructor, always keep a copy for yourself.
Remeber, even when taking online community college courses, you still have the opportunity to transfer from community college to Ivy League universities.
About The Author: Bianca Da Silva
Bianca holds a degree in psychology and is a journalist for education news and informational website CollegeClasses.com. Learn more about obtaining an online culinary degree and Follow Us for the latest in higher education.
