Photo by Marina Meretz.
As students return from winter break, they may be having trouble getting back into their usual routine. Balancing school, work and a social life can be challenging, especially for anyone taking online classes this spring.
Online classes are very independent by nature, which makes it a great option for students with a busy schedule. However, managing your own learning online takes much more focus and motivation than in a face-to-face setting. Here are some tips for online class success for any students feeling a little overwhelmed.
First, read the syllabus! It is important to read the syllabus in any class to understand your professor’s grading policy, the course schedule, and how best to reach them along with more essential information. In an online class, your professor will not be meeting with you weekly to remind you of due dates or assigned reading, so it is important to know this information.
Professor Saylor, a senior math professor at DSC who has taught online courses for many years now believes that online classes, especially those of a mathematical or scientific nature can be even more challenging than a face-to-face class. It requires you to put in the same amount of time as you would spend learning in the classroom plus more, since you do not have a professor teaching you the material.
“You can’t spend 15 or 20 hours on Pearson all semester and expect to succeed,” Saylor says. Professors can see how many hours students are utilizing their online learning tool. Professor Saylor’s online math classes use a program called the Pearson MyLab Math learning tool that contains the lessons, homework and exams all in one place.
Saylor believes that engaging with the class as often as possible is the best thing an online student can do for themselves. This leads us to the next tip, which is to check your school email and course shell daily. Your professor’s only form of communication is through announcements and emails, so it is crucial that you read these as soon as possible.
Alexis Gonzalez, current DSC student advises that you create a schedule to keep track of your time. Her favorite way to do this is through her reminder’s app on her iPhone as well as Notion, which is an online workspace that you can customize for your needs.
“If you’re taking two, three or four classes, you’re going to forget what you have to do,” Gonzalez explains. “So, I would use a learning tool.” What she loves about Notion is that she can download pdf’s, create class schedules and make to do lists all in one platform.
Regardless of if you use a digital planner or a physical one, scheduling your study time is imperative to your success in an online setting. Even though there is not a set meeting time for your class, setting aside time every week to work on your online class helps you to not fall behind or become overwhelmed with the workload.
It is important to give yourself grace as you navigate this new educational medium. There is a learning curve to everything, even your professors may have struggled using the technology before they were trained by the Online Studies department at DSC. They may still have questions, but they can ask for help from the Falcon Innovation Center, much like how students can contact the Writing Center or the Academic Support Center for assistance when they need it.“ To me, the number one thing is time management,” explains Saylor. Students who put in the appropriate amount of time to learn the material are the ones who succeed. Taking the time to familiarize yourself with the course and continuously working throughout the semester is all you need to do to have a good online experience. Here’s to another successful semester for everyone at DSC.