4 Tips to Help You Pick Online Courses

By Alicia Geigel on August 18, 2017

Every year, when registration time approaches, picking courses may be either a breeze or a nightmare. Piecing together a schedule of courses all while taking into consideration day of the week, time, location, etc. makes choosing courses even more of a hassle.

However, one convenient option when choosing courses is taking courses online, which not only eliminates the stress of putting together a schedule that doesn’t overlap, but it also gives you better control over how you spend your time.

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My junior year, I moved back home with my parents from my off campus apartment, which meant I needed to keep several factors into consideration when organizing a class schedule, factors that I did not have to think about when living on campus. Instead, I had to research train schedules, factor in commuting time, and pick classes that worked within my schedule of commuting to and from school.

One of the greatest options I took (and still take) advantage of is the choice of online courses. Online courses gave me the opportunity to efficiently balance my classes as well as my time, and also gave me more freedom. However, with great freedom comes great responsibility, and that is the case when considering taking online courses.

The online instructional method differs from the traditional style classroom method of teaching, which means your obligations and priorities change. If you are considering taking online classes but are not exactly sure how the selection process goes, check out my guide below!

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1. Selecting the course: If you are new to taking courses online, you may be wondering how to select the right courses for you. My advice is to first, schedule an appointment with an advisor whether it be in person or over the phone. Talking with an advisor about whether taking classes online is right for you and what kind of classes you want to take is a great start to understanding how online courses work.

Second, after meeting with your advisor, carefully select your courses based on what will be best to take online. Perhaps you have a GenEd course that makes more sense to take online than in a classroom, or an elective you need to meet your required number of credits for graduation. Regardless of your reason, make sure you check to see if there are any pre-requisites or other limiting requirements before you enroll in the course! Now that you’ve picked your class or classes, you can delve right into the learning process!

2. Attendance: Part of the reason why online classes are so great is due to the fact that attendance is not as strict and rigid as regular classroom attendance. In contrast to the traditional classroom method, most online courses do not typically hold attendance. Instead, credit is given in the form of either weekly quizzes, discussions, or assignments.

Some online courses, depending on which kind you choose, can hold sessions weekly at a specific time, which in that case, attendance would be mandatory in order for you to engage effectively in the course. Regardless of the online course you select, you are in control, which means you can decide whether you want a more open course or a rigid one with exact times!

3. Learning method: When it comes to online courses, most likely you will have an instructor who posts weekly recorded lectures. Recorded lectures are beneficial to your learning process because not only are you able to rewind/pause/etc. the lectures if you miss an important segment, but you also can have access to previous lectures throughout the duration of the semester! This is a major help when it comes time to take midterms and finals, or just when you’re preparing for homework.

4. Discussion posts: A large, important portion of taking classes online are discussion boards. The reason why most online instructors require weekly participation through discussion posts and responses is because there is not another effective way for students to engage with not only each other but also the instructor.

Discussions allow for you to share your knowledge of the topics and lessons of the week as well as bring forward any questions you wish to ask fellow students. In most cases, instructors will ask a prompt and require you to answer the prompt based on the knowledge of the lessons given that week. Following your response, instructors typically request that you respond to another student’s answer to the prompt with either an agreement, disagreement, or another question.

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Though taking courses online is not for everyone, if you find yourself in a situation where it works for you, my advice is to go for it! Do not let the fear of going against the traditional college experience keep you from doing what works best for you. The opportunity to take courses online has allowed me to be more selective of my time and use it as wisely as I can. As always, good luck!

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