Tips and Tricks for Taking Online Classes

If you’re like me and you are scheduling classes right now and trying to figure out what’s best, I’m here to help give you a little push.

Figuring out which classes to take can be hard especially when you are trying to balance your schedule. In-person classes versus online classes can be a hard decision when you are not sure how busy you are going to be.

Since my freshman year, I have taken an online class each semester and now that I am a junior, I feel like I have a good idea of how they work and when to take them. Here are my best tips and tricks for navigating online classes.

1. Make sure that the class that you are taking online is not super complicated.
   1. If you aren’t good at math and usually find yourself needing help, I would suggest finding an in-person math class. If it is in person you can go up to the professor or teaching assistant after class to ask for help or you can also meet other people around you and make a group chat for class.
2. If you can, look up the professor on “Rate My Professors”
   1. The reviews will tell you whether or not it was hard (and whether the answers to quizzes are on “Quizlet.”) I think it is a given to look up any professor but especially important for online because you see less of the personality of your professor in online classes.
3. Set your own schedule
   1. Now this can be a good or bad thing depending on how well you manage your time. Most of the assignments have due dates but you essentially get to choose when you learn the lesson. Some classes will have assignments due on multiple days a week, forcing you to spread it out but other classes will have all the assignments due at the end of the week. If you wait to cram everything in one day, it might be stressful and time-consuming. 
4. It’s all on you.
   1. With in-person classes, you might have a professor who reminds you of due dates or class time to get assignments done but with an online class, everything is up to you. One class of mine doesn’t have any due dates so if I don’t do one assignment each week I get really behind.
5. Take something you are interested in.
   1. Since you aren’t being talked to by a professor you are essentially teaching the class to yourself. Make sure it is something you are at least mildly interested in because that would keep you more motivated to do your work. If you aren’t interested in the topic you can find yourself falling behind or not paying attention.

Always look out for your own best interest because what you will do well in is not the same as everyone else and online classes put all of the work on you. Online classes can be the greatest choice you made or be the thing that holds you back so review all of your options before making the final decision. 

• #college tips
• #online classes
• advice