In this post you can find what you need to be successful with online classes in college.
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Taking online classes in college is easy for some of us, but not for all of us. Let’s be real, haha. College is already hard when we don’t even like what we are learning, and it is online?!
Online classes in college can be hard because:
- You are at home, and it is not easy to focus
- There are a lot of nearby distractions
- It is hard to stay motivated without being in an actual class
- You cannot see your professor face-to-face
- It can be lonely and hard to create study groups with classmates
- You may not get the tutoring your looking for
Reasons to Take Online Classes in College
There are many beneficial reasons to take online classes in college. Some are those reasons are:
- You can take them from home, your backyard, or anywhere
- Classes are offered from out of state universities that you might want to attend while in your own home
- You can go to college even if you have kids at home
- You can email your professor or zoom with the questions that you have
- Online classes are self-paced
- Everything is done remotely, and you don’t have to drive to school
I took many online classes because I am a self-motivated person who likes to travel and still wanted an education.
You can do things with your family and plan out your week a lot easier when you take classes online.
Online classes in college are a good idea when you:
- take them with harder classes
- want to complete a course in half the time
- still want to travel and visit family or friends
- are looking to take some classes from home because you are a parent and need to be with your babies
Some online classes in college you can take are:
- psychology
- sociology
- college-level math
- foreign language
- music
- computer-related courses
- college-level English
- history
Some options will help you move toward your degree, even if you take only online classes just to get started. A lot of the time when you are taking prerequisites, you are working your way to college-level courses. Some classes may not be offered online.
If you have good time management, are organized, and want to take online classes, you should go for it! You don’t want to let your inability to drive to a college campus hold you back from starting on your degree!
You can start with even one or two courses that are online to get you started!
Once you jump into online courses, there are a few items that you will want to have to make sure you can stay focus and pass your classes!
I started taking online classes in college during my community college years. Once I realized how helpful they were, I took all of my bachelor’s degree courses online.
Then, when COVID hit, we had more classes online for my master’s program! It wasn’t easy because, for my master’s program, I had a lot of questions, essays, group work, reports, research, and other complicated assignments.
These were things I used as a mom in a master’s program because I had distractions around me in our small condo even though I was motivated!
Here are some items that will make your life 100 times EASIER.
What You’ll Need to Be Successful With Online Classes in College
If you are you planning on taking online classes and are feeling a little overwhelmed with this coming semester, DON’T worry! After taking many online classes throughout the years, I have narrowed down four specific items that are A MUST for a less complicated semester.
:: Laptop
I have found that many teachers use Gmail to work with students online. Why is this important? Well, having a google chrome book will make the transition online a lot easier. The Chromebook provides all of the apps through Gmail, which will allow you to easily navigate google (docs, sheets, drive, etc.)
For example, Google docs are like Microsoft word, but for Google users. This will make it easy to type online assignments, which will then be saved to your google drive.
::Portable Table
As much as I dream of my own office that is just not my reality. Having a portable table will make it easier for you to have an office wherever you can find peace and quiet in your house, which changes every week for me! Sometimes my “office” is in the guest room, living room, nursery, or my bedroom.
This table makes it easy because it is foldable, portable, and serves as a desk with a cupholder. This will allow you to quickly set up your laptop anywhere and help you get busy with your assignments!
:: Headphones
These headphones are a LIFE SAVER, especially if you have little ones at home! There are so many times where I have worked on an assignment and have been distracted. I find it hard to focus when I can hear the baby playing or crying in the next room while her daddy puts her to sleep.
It might seem silly, but sometimes we have to take it back to the basics so that we can focus!! Using these headphones will help you focus on the lecture, powerpoint, or drown out all the background noise!
:: Folders
Are you ever in school and carried a huge folder with dividers for all of your assignments? Having dividers and papers can become a hassle to keep track of in college! These folders are PERFECT because they will help break it back down to the basics by color coding each class, along with a folder for an assignment todo list for the week, + no papers rip or get lost!
Online classes can easily become overwhelming! Whether you have never taken online classes, are interested in online classes, or you are taking your first online classes, these four items make online classes easier! I promise you will feel engaged, organized + will feel like you are in a real classroom!
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