How to Let Continuing Education Open the Door
Things to Do and Not to Do when Enrolled in Online Education
Apr 29, 2009
Continuing education opens the door to advancement and career stability for those who are willing to make the necessary sacrifices. Most adults who begin the down the continuing education path have the great intentions; however, some begin to stray from the path because of distractions. They way to avoid these distractions is to plan, communicate, research, and set aside dedicated times for class.
These steps are particularly important for the online education learner. Planning for continuing education requires more than simply enrolling in a program and starting classes. Many people who fall by the wayside in online education do so because they do not allow time to complete class work or fail to select an appropriate program. Follow 10 tips for adults going back to school to ensure you do not fall by the wayside.
Things to Do For Success in Online Education
The following are key things everyone enrolled in online continuing education must focus on for success.
- Talk to the course instructors via e-mail, online chats, and by phone if necessary. It is important to connect the course with a human instructor to make it personal and not an abstract thing.
- Participate in online discussions, e-mail classmates, and become an active member of the class. This should happen regardless if participation is part of the course grade, because the course becomes real.
- Contact the instructor to ensure you fully understand all course requirements and assignments. Do not assume anything, because assuming is the path to dropping out.
- Start assignments early, especially those that require research. Collecting resources for assignments in advance is the path to a good grade. Knowing how you learn is critical for success with assignments and course completion.
- Prepare a calendar indicating when all course projects are due, especially if enrolled in multiple courses. The key here is to also assign a start date on the calendar for big assignments and projects, to avoid procrastination.
- Be organized! Have a place where all study materials and the computer can remain without being disturbed by others. Keep copies of all assignments and communications with instructor for reference.
The following are common pitfalls that reach out and grab the best of students in online education.
- Do not hesitate to contact the school for anything. Questions about advising, financial situations, or anything else on your mind. Never assume problems will work themselves out, they do not. Be proactive!
- Do not forget to use all available resources the school offers for completing assignments. Most libraries will mail books to you and find resources from other libraries for you though inter-library loan programs.
- If there is a college or university near you visit their library to conduct research, even if you are not enrolled in the school. Library doors are open to all on school campuses, they do not check to see if you are enrolled. However, you will not be able to check anything out from the library.
- Do not plagiarize someone else’s work, cite the work. Course instructors can easily check your work through free programs like Copyscape and a host of other anti-plagiarism software programs.
- Do not purchase term papers and other academic papers, most will never pass a plagiarism test.
Making Connections in Online Education
To allow continuing education to open the door to success, anyone enrolled in continuing education must be willing to dedicate the time and resources necessary to succeed. Preparing a continuing education action plan, which covers everything from beginning research to find a program through graduation, will help open those doors to advancement a career stability. Planning avoids online education pitfalls and is critical to success.
 |
