There’s more to be said for online learning than just being able to roll out of bed and attend class with your cat in your lap. Online learning is convenient, flexible, and an opportunity to enhance your critical thinking and technological skills. And if you know what makes a successful online learner, you can reap even more benefits from your online learning experience!
Online learning is a different ballgame, but with the right tips for success, you’ll be just fine!
When it comes to study abroad, online learning could never replace the impact of physically being abroad, but you can still gain a multicultural perspective through courses with international professors and enroll in courses in different disciplines to form a global experience. Now is a great time to explore unique courses or start learning a language that you can then finish during a future study abroad term.
With that said, there are some things to consider when thinking about how to be a successful online learner. Without a teacher standing in front of you, it can be easy to get distracted. And without having other students in class to feed off of, online learning can be a big adjustment for collaborative and visual learners.
What are the characteristics of successful online learners?
So...what makes a successful online learner? Possessing the following characteristics, or committing to improving upon them, will help you find success in an online learning environment.
- Motivation. Successful online learners need to be motivated in becoming more educated in the class topic.
- Good time management skills. Every online class is structured differently and will require a different amount of effort and time commitment.
- Good communication skills. Communicating through a computer screen is very different than in person.
- Self-discipline. With online learning you’re more accountable for your actions than physically going to class. You’ll need discipline to stay focused, organized, and successful.
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9 tips for online learning success
So, you posses the characteristics of successful online learners? Great! Whether you naturally exhibit the above skills or not, everyone is capable of successfully navigating online learning experiences. But, it never hurts to have a few tips in your back pocket!
1. Create a study plan
Whether you like to go old school with post its and highlighters, or prefer something more digital, a little planning goes a long way.
The beauty of online learning is the flexibility that comes with it. You have the ability to fit your coursework into your schedule. With that said, there’s still class time, reading, studying, and assignments to be completed.
It’s best to create a study plan to make sure you stay on track. When creating your study plan, take the following into consideration:
- Do you work best in the morning, afternoons, or evening?
- Are you more productive for long stretches of time or short blocks?
- How many hours a day need to go towards coursework?
- How much extra time do you need for reading or studying?
- Do you need to work around anyone else’s schedule in your home?
2. Establish a routine
What makes a successful online learner? Sometimes it’s as simple as establishing a routine. Routines help us stay committed and focused on the tasks we need to complete.
If you commit to studying Spanish every day between 10:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m. you’re more likely to follow through than by simply saying you’ll get to it at some point in the day.
When establishing a routine that works for you, keep an organized schedule of your online learning commitments and share your intended study times with your housemates. This way you have limited distractions during the times you’re studying.
3. Set up a study space
Have a space devoted to your studies—you’ll be way more productive.
While it’s tempting to attend class from your bed, setting up a study space can help provide a change of scenery and a sense that you’re actually attending class. A good study space is free from distractions and organized for your success.
If you know you’re easily distracted by noise, make sure your space is in a quiet area. If you have a pet that never wants to leave your side and will bark or scratch at the door if left behind, create a space where they can hang out while you work.
4. Eliminate distractions
One of the best tips for online learning success is to actively try to identify and eliminate common distractions. Cell phones, social media, roommates, pets, parents, laundry; these are all viable distractions for online learning.
Following steps one through three will help eliminate many of these distractions, but consider taking extra steps like turning your phone off during class, setting up time limits on social media, and informing your roommates on how they can help minimize distractions during your study blocks.
5. Participate in class
We know that not everyone is the type of person to speak up in class, but with online learning there is nowhere to hide in the back of the classroom.
Staying engaged and making an effort to actively participate in class will make online learning more enjoyable and help you mentally digest what’s being taught. If you’re confused on a topic, make sure to ask questions of your classmates and professor.
6. Remember you're on video
Smile! You’re on camera.
If you’re participating in online courses that require a video platform like Zoom or Microsoft Teams for Education, keep in mind that you’re on video. This means that your professor and your classmates can see you!
Not only does that mean you should be aware of your surroundings, but a professor will notice if you’re talking to someone in your household, distracted by something, or looking down at your cell phone during class.
7. Stay physically healthy
One of the commonly overlooked characteristics of successful online learners is keeping your own health in mind. When all of your obligations can be completed within your home or bedroom, it can be easy to forget to take a break and move around.
Give yourself ample study breaks where you stand, walk, stretch, and move your body. If you’re doing exercises think about the time of day you would go to the gym and look into online workout programs so you can workout at home.
It’s also important to take into consideration the extra screen time you’ll be receiving. Consider purchasing computer screen glasses in order to avoid eye-strain. Lastly, don’t forget to fuel your body with proper meals.
8. Check in with your mental health
Don’t overlook your mental and physical health as an online learner.
Just as important as your physical health is your mental health. If you’ve never taken online courses before, it can be an adjustment and overwhelming, and it’s important to maintain a balance between your school work and personal life.
If you start to feel overwhelmed with coursework make sure to reach out to your professor. Recognizing your mental state can assure that you’re tackling your online coursework when you’re mentally at your best.
The beauty of online coursework is that it’s flexible, so don’t force yourself to complete something if you’re not in the right frame of mind. Take a necessary break and jump back in when you’re ready.
9. Avoid procrastination
Waiting until the last minute to complete projects can result in feeling stressed, anxious, and turning in subpar work. It’s best to create deadlines that fall several days short of the class deadline.
Larger projects can be broken down into smaller steps with multiple deadlines to assure you stay on track. If you need an incentive to complete courses or tasks, consider setting up a reward system with yourself and/or your peers so you have something to look forward to when completing assignments.
Give yourself plenty of time to review your projects and assignments, make adjustments, and make sure you’re turning in your best work.
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Ready to be a successful online learner?
Take these tips for online learning success—and put them to good use!
Whether you’ve taken an online class before or not, online learning is a new academic process for many students. By using these tips for online learning success, online learning can be highly enjoyable and expand your learning options.
As study abroad organizations move to online learning models for summer 2020 programs (and possibly beyond), students have the options to mix and match disciplines and explore exciting classes from professors all around the world.
When it comes to study abroad in particular, many online course offerings are more affordable than your home university or international online learnings. We’re fortunate to live in a world where we can continue to expand our global perspectives right from our homes, so don’t be afraid to take advantage of online learning today.
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This article was written with help from USAC. The University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) provides university students with affordable, valuable study abroad programs, and contributes to the internationalization of universities in the United States and abroad. Currently, USAC is offering online courses and virtual internships for the summer 2020 term. Traditionally, USAC welcomes students from any university to participate in one of their 26 program locations worldwide.
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