Take online courses

Online courses offer a lot of flexibility for busy students. They often attract professionals looking for career advancement, parents seeking to better provide for their families and returning students looking to pick up where they left off.

Taking online classes allows you to work toward your goals at your own pace. But not everyone has what it takes to succeed in the nontraditional setting of online classes. They will test your self-discipline, time management skills and ability to learn independently.

Learning from those who have been in your shoes is a great way to prepare yourself and avoid their mistakes. We polled a handful of Rasmussen College online students to learn the ins and outs of taking online classes.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Online classes are not the ‘easy’ route

Opting for online courses over traditional courses is not the easy route for your education. It’s true that online courses offer you the flexibility to learn in your own time and space, but that doesn’t change the amount of work you put in. You still have the same amount of work—just without the formal classroom setting.

The flexibility of online classes can be extremely helpful to busy students, but that same freedom also creates additional pressures on those enrolled. The ball is in your court—meaning it’s up to you to avoid distractions and keep on track.

“You have to find the time to read, watch tutorials and study, ” Angela Ronk says. “I have had many late nights, some even in tears. It’s not just a simple path.”

2. Know your learning style

People have different learning styles, so an advantage to one student may be a disadvantage to another. For example, if you like to ask questions during lectures and interact with your professor after class, online courses will be an adjustment for you. Seeking out help will be trickier than simply approaching a professor during office hours.

On the other hand, online lectures are a great option if you tend to feel lost in the crowd of a classroom. This gives you the ability to pause and take thorough notes or even re-watch parts you didn’t quite understand the first time.

3. Become comfortable with the technology

“I wish that I had been advised to familiarize myself with the class platform, ” Amanda Barry admits. She remembers being frustrated at having an assignment deadline quickly approaching and being unable to easily navigate the site.