Online University: Tips for Studying Online
The Associated Press acknowledges that earning a degree can be a great career move. It can help you shift gears and move in a new direction, or it can help you boost your abilities and push your current career to the next level.
However, many people assume they can’t make earning a degree fit into their busy schedule, or don’t have good options close by.
Fortunately, online degrees offer a chance to study on your schedule, in your own home, on your own terms. RushRadar takes a look at how to give yourself the best chance at success in an online degree program.
Explore Your Options
One of the biggest advantages of studying at an online university is that you’ll suddenly find a world of options available to you. If you’re studying locally, you’re inherently limited to the programs you’re able to find in your area. Study online, however, and you have access to nearly any program you might want to pursue. For example, you could look into earning a business degree and go into marketing, management, or even business ownership.
Practice Self-Discipline
Most online university programs offer asynchronous options, meaning you study on your own schedule within a specific window. Although this makes pursuing a degree possible for busy people such as parents and those working full time, it also means you have to come to the table with a ton of self-discipline. After all, there is no one you’re beholden to in an asynchronous program other than yourself. You have to be responsible for your own timeline and commitments.
You can practice this to see if it’s right for you by finding open courses online. Many universities offer free online versions of courses which, though they provide no course credits, give you a chance to try out self-guided learning. Find a topic that interests you or that gives you a sense of a field you might pursue, and follow one of these courses along. This will help you assess your current level of self-discipline and build up more if needed.
Reward Your Progress
One of the drawbacks of attending an online university is that you don’t get that in-person feedback when you do a good job. Performing well in person and performing well virtually can feel pretty different. If you know you’re motivated by rewards and recognition, you’ll need to create that for yourself, just as you’ll have to create your own schedule and structure.
There are many wonderful ways to reward yourself for a job well done, from enjoying a glass of sparkling wine to planning a weekend vacation after the end of a semester. Sprinkle in these treats throughout your schedule while you complete your degree, especially after major hurdles such as exams or completed papers. It might seem silly to reward yourself this way, but Productive Club notes that recognizing your own success can do wonders for your ability to stay motivated to reach your goals.
Online universities open up higher education to many people who would otherwise be unable to even entertain the idea. Take some time to explore the options and think about what strengths you bring to the table, and find a program that will help you reach your goals. With the right degree, who knows what you can achieve?
Explore More Options
Earning a university degree isn't necessarily the best option, when you look at some of the most successful people in the world, you'll realize that many of them have skipped university altogether.
In some cases, a degree may end up being a waste of time, if you feel that may be your case, there are many alternatives out there that provide incredible value and knowledge.
If you'd like, you can take a look at platforms such as MasterClass or Udemy, where you can learn from some of the most successful people in the world, and extremely skilled and accomplished professionals.
Nuno
I'm a filmmaker with extensive training in multiple sectors of content creation whose films have been shown all over the world. I have also served as a speaker and jury member in multiple events. Nonetheless, in recent years, I became extremely disappointed with the course of the art world in general, and as consequence, I've developed an interest in topics I believed would become crucial for the future, namely, cybersecurity, self-education, web design, and investing in various assets, such as cryptocurrencies. All those events have driven me to launch RushRadar.