It’s easier than ever to sign up for an online degree, but navigating the course is where the real challenge lies. We’re finally witnessing an age where a student’s geographical location doesn’t need to determine which degrees they can sign up for.
However, an online degree does have its limitations, including learning in isolation. This shouldn’t discourage you though! We’ve put these tips together to help make your online degree experience a positive and rewarding one.
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Are Online Degrees Respected?
Much like in-person degrees, online degrees are equally reputable and valuable. Of course, this depends on the university or college.
It would be wrong to say that one online degree program carries as much weight as the next. There are plenty of options to choose from but you might find that you’ve spent your money on the wrong course after the fact once you start applying for jobs.
This is why it’s essential to research online learning platforms and find out which universities and colleges are still well respected in your chosen industry.
Now, let’s dive into how you can get through an online degree without losing all your hair.
Tips to Make It Through an Online Degree with Ease
1. Treat Your Online Degree as an Offline Course
Many students procrastinate more when studying online. This is especially true if your lectures are pre-recorded and you can access them anytime. In these situations, “anytime” often becomes “tomorrow,” and “tomorrow” often turns into “next week.” Before you know it, all your assignment deadlines are long overdue.
One reason why you don’t take your classes seriously is that you can attend them from your bed. Once you change things up, like getting dressed and putting some makeup on (if that’s what you normally do before class) the entire process starts to feel a lot different.
Approach the learning material as if it was taking place in a real-world classroom that you have to be in at a specific time each day. If you work until 5 pm, pretend you’re going to night school that starts at 7 pm and stick to the schedule.
2. Participate in All Activities
Attending an online degree comes with many challenges. You may find your program is not engaging enough or that you could use some additional motivation to keep going. Get the most out of the curriculum and experience by participating in all discussions, activities, quizzes, and other assignments.
This will help you stay on schedule, consolidate your learnings, and make the whole experience more intuitive and fun.
3. Build a Support System
Most online degree programs have discussion forums where students can discuss class topics, turn in assignments, and more. But there’s no reason why you can’t go a step further and schedule virtual meetings with your classmates. This way, the entire process will feel more natural. Plus, you’ll get to connect with people from all around the world who share the same interests as you and possibly start new, valuable friendships.
4. Create SMART Goals for Each Class
SMART goals are geared towards the process rather than the end result. Instead of writing a goal that reads “turn in my geography assignment”, change it up by writing something like, “every other evening after work, I’ll write one page of my geography essay. I’ll start by gathering my resources and taking notes, then putting them down on paper”.
Create SMART goals for all important milestones throughout your online degree to stay motivated and on track.
5. Make Studying Convenient
Enrolling in an online degree program is super flexible. Chances are, your educational institution of choice has an app you can use on all your devices to access course content from just about anywhere. Feel uncomfortable sitting in front of your computer all the time? Take your tablet to a café and go over your lessons with a delicious latte.
6. Take Online Courses Beforehand
Say you signed up for an online degree that covers many complex topics and modules. It may be your first time going over those subjects, and you can easily get overwhelmed. Luckily, you can find a free online course that treats the same subject at a beginner level. Once you build a foundation, you can continue with your regular degree program and follow the material with ease.
7. Take Notes
Most online degree programs have comprehensive curriculums followed by reading material and lecture notes or transcripts. You may think it’s enough to follow the lectures and rely on supplied notes to remember the content. However, nothing beats the good old pen and paper.
Again, treat your online degree as if you were sitting in a real classroom. You’ll be surprised by how much time you’ll save not having to replay lectures or read through transcripts to find important details.
Choosing the Right Online Degree
If you still haven’t started an online degree, Coursary is a great place to explore your options. You can browse programs based on category, duration, price, and language. Obtaining a degree from a reputable educational institution or organization has never been easier, and we hope you’ll find the perfect program for your needs and interests.