5 Easy Tips for Successful Online Learners

Online learning can be really convenient, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. You still have to do the work, put in the time, and complete your assignments if you really want to get the full benefit of an eLearning course. Here are some tips for ensuring your online learning experience is a successful one.

Get Organized

You won’t have a teacher taking attendance or a bell telling you when to switch subjects, so your success as an online learner is going to require you to exercise your own discipline and time management skills. For example, it’s a good idea to set aside specific times to work on assignments or study, rather than simply doing it whenever the mood strikes.  You should also try to keep your actual study materials and notes organized, especially if you’re taking multiple courses at once.

Create & Protect a Study Space

Whether it’s a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, we can access the internet from pretty much anywhere these days. This is both a good and a bad thing when it comes to online learning. Sitting on the couch while your favorite TV show is on is probably not the best place for you to study.  You need to establish your own study space or classroom. A place with minimal noise and distractions, where you can focus completely on your lesson. This doesn’t just apply to your physical location either. Make sure to close all those extra windows, tabs, and YouTube videos before you get down to work.

Check Your Tech

This one may seem a little obvious, but you’re going to need a reliable internet connection to get the most out of online learning. If you’re still connecting through a dial-up modem or stealing wifi from your neighbor, it’s not going to be as convenient to watch lectures, upload assignments, and access your online coursework in general.

Ask for Help

As an eLearning student, getting help on an assignment that’s giving you trouble isn’t as easy as raising your hand or asking the person sitting next to you. You’ll usually have to make the extra effort of sending an email or message to an instructor or classmate.  But it’s important that you do so, because you’re the only person who suffers if you don’t. It’s a good idea to connect with other students as well so you have a study buddy when needed.

Stay Motivated

While your motivation may be high when you first sign up for a course, you’ll probably experience some dips in enthusiasm when it’s time to start actually studying and completing assignments. Some of the tips we covered above can help with this, like keeping organized and finding a study buddy.  There are other ways to get inspired, whether it’s reminding yourself how what you’re learning will benefit you, setting up rewards or punishments for yourself, or even sharing your course goals with others to keep yourself accountable.

Do you know of other ways to stay motivated throughout an eLearning course? Let us know in the comments.