We live in the information age. We have grown so accustomed to
information at the speed of light that the prospect of not having
immediate access to countless numbers of facts and figures with the mere
click of a few buttons for many of us is simply disconcerting. For this
reason, it only makes sense that there are many people across the
nation and around the world that are embracing the idea of online
learning and educational opportunities with every ounce of enthusiasm
they can muster.
At the same time there are equal numbers of people around the world who
are trying desperately to hold on to traditional methods of dealing with
certain things. In fact, some people actually still play solitaire with
a deck of playing cards. For people who feel that the information age
has left them behind to some degree the chances are quite good that
online learning may not be the best available option for you.
Below you will find a few questions that can help you narrow down
whether or not you would truly benefit by taking some of the many online
courses that are being offered in today’s information age of learning.
1) Are you disciplined? This may seem like such an innocuous question
because we would all like to think that we are disciplined to some
degree. The problem is that when you are in the driver’s seat for your
own education you need to have a little more than some small degree of
discipline. You need to be able to meet deadlines, take the tests, and
hold yourself responsible for actually learning the information that you
need to learn in order to pass the course. There is no one to blame but
yourself if you do not manage to do well in your online classes and
some people simply do not like being in the drivers seat when it comes
to motivating and pacing themselves and their learning practices.
2) How do you learn best? We all have different methods of learning for
which we retain information better than others. Online courses are
reading intensive. If you have difficulties retaining the information
you read you may need to find an alternate learning method or seek
solutions with the assistance of the course instructor before moving
forward in an online learning environment.
3) Do you have a true desire to succeed? The answer to this question is
quite important in determining whether or not online learning is in your
best interest. There are many paths you can take in order to achieve
the education and degree you desire. This is not the path of the masses,
at least not yet. This type of learning, more than any other is easy to
give up on through apathy. If you aren’t determined to do the
assignments, to study the notes, and to really learn the material that
is presented to you then you really do not need to waste your time or
the instructor’s time by continually making up excuses. Online courses
are largely self-paced but you do have a limited amount of time in which
to learn the material before you need to move on. The teacher is
responsible for providing you the information and material but you are
responsible for everything that happens from that moment on. Are you
ready for that responsibility?
Whether you are a first time college student or a professional that is
returning to school after a long absence online learning can open new
doors of opportunity for your learning pleasure. You must be willing to
walk through those doors and take the information that is presented to
you however in order to be successful. My sincere hope is that everyone
reading this will carefully consider whether or not the lack of
structure that many online courses provides is going to be conducive to
your specific learning and educational needs before taking the plunge.
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