Karen Watts, Instructor and Trainer at Bellingham Technical College Business Department and Tutoring Center, writes about back to school success for non-traditional students in a two-part article (Back to School: Success Tips for Non-Traditional Students) for evolllution.com.
Part 1 touches on two concerns facing students: 1) the cost of education and 2) course selection and time management.
Part 2 looks at some misconceptions of online learning. Many people still assume that online learning is easier than face-to-face classes. “Online students need excellent time management skills and a great degree of internal motivation. Solid reading comprehension and writing skills are a must for most subjects taught online.”
Technology skills are also necessary for successful online learning. Watts has these tips for online students:
- Honestly assess your computer and time management skills as well as learning style before registering for an online class
- Do a technology check before the class starts to make sure you have the hardware and software you need to access the course and create documents
- Create a technology emergency plan identifying how you will access the class if your home computer or Internet connection crashes
- Develop a routine where you organize your files for classes in one drive and regularly back them up in a second drive
Read both articles using the links above!
