When students think about college courses, online options are not always the first that come to mind – especially in the way the last two semesters have gone. But we have to remain flexible, and students have to do their best to succeed with the course material no matter how it is offered. Here are a few tips to prepare them for success in online classes.

 

  1. Create goals and hold themselves accountable
    1. When an online course doesn’t meet at a specific time each week, it can become easy to put off homework and studying until “later.” Before long, “later” piles up and nothing has gotten done! You student should look through the syllabus for due dates, and mark goals for studying and homework completion each week in an agenda or calendar. This can be done online or in a notebook. They should consistently review these goals and make sure they are meeting deadlines every week.
  2. Take regular breaks
    1. Just as it may be tempting to put everything off until later, once your student gets started, it may be tempting to sit down and power through everything in a few hours. This is not going to help your student in the long run. First, they may run through material so fast that it doesn’t have time to sink in, so they miss valuable information. Second, this puts a strain on their mental and physical health, which we all know is more important than ever. By taking frequent breaks, they give the material time to sink in, and they give their body and mind the rest they need. Whether it’s a 10-minute coffee break, or a short walk around the neighborhood, encourage your student to take time for themselves occasionally.
  3. Create a dedicated study space
    1. It’s easy to think that you can work wherever you want when you are taking an online class, but not every location will set you up for success. Your student should set up a space where they can keep their books, notebooks and supplies, as well as focus on the tasks at hand rather than trying to watch tv or talk to other people. Sometimes it’s okay to want to stretch out on the bed – but be careful, an unexpected nap can definitely take away productivity!
  4. Remember they’re not alone
    1. When all of their work takes place at home on a computer, your student may feel like they’re taking the class on their own, but this is not the case. There are other students in the class, and they would likely benefit from a study partner, too. Zoom or Google Hangouts make it easy to meet with study groups from afar. And if your student needs a little extra help, the Center for Academic Support is open all semester for online or in-person tutoring sessions.
  5. Take notes by hand
    1. Since everything is accessible online, it can be tempting to skip taking notes. While having everything available will be helpful when reviewing for upcoming tests, the main benefit of taking notes is to engage with the material. Taking notes boosts reading comprehension and may help your student see something in the material that they would have otherwise missed. Plus, the repetition of handwriting notes helps your student study more consciously than typing alone.