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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