10 Initial Steps to Take for Success as an Online Student

Written by Abena Sey

July 30, 2020

If navigated effectively, online learning can be truly rewarding to a student who chooses this route to pursue further education. It can also be overwhelming, especially if one is balancing full-time work, a family, and other obligations, as was my case when I was an online graduate student. I had a successful experience pursuing my online graduate degree with a reputable Canadian institution. The rigorous program challenged me intellectually and distance learning bolstered my resilience. I was able to navigate the demands of my online program successfully, due in large part to the strategies I developed to stay organized.

Congratulations! You’ve been accepted into an online program. Now what? You ask yourself. Where do I begin? Here are 10 Initial Steps to Take for Success when starting an online program.

1 - Thoroughly read your program’s handbook to fully understand the program requirements, the expectations of students, the support offered to students, and any other relevant information about your school and the program.

2 - Ensure that you know the specific contact person to address any questions or concerns you have or specific needs you may need addressed as a student. This information is usually contained in your program handbook.

3 - If your program supplies you with an email address that offers cloud storage for offsite back up, such as Google Drive or Microsoft One Drive, take advantage of the opportunity to organize your digital resources with these tools. **See my next post for tips on how I used cloud storage to organize my resources and assignments.**

4 - Thoroughly read the course syllabus to find out the contact information for the instructor of the course, the goals of the course, students’ expectations, types of assignments, the weight for each assignment, assignment deadlines, and materials or resources that you may need to purchase. Most resources are available in a digital format, but if you prefer a hard copy of the resource, order it ASAP to begin course readings/assignments right away.

5 - List the deadlines for assignments using a calendar or planner (digital or otherwise). This will help you plan your time accordingly. **See my post on time management tips for online learning.**