Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Do’s and Don’ts of Online Classes

Do’s and Don’ts of Online Classes
Marc Verwiel

In order to fill a gap in my schedule and learn more about one of my favorite topics, I made the decision to take AP Economics as an online class during my senior year. After two months of being enrolled, I have learned some crucial tips for deciding which class to take, and how to handle the new experience.


  • Do- Take a class in a subject you are interested in. Online classes usually require a lot of personal effort, so if you are not engaged in the subject, it may be hard to motivate yourself to learn the content.
  • Don’t- Procrastinate. Many online classes are partially self-paced, with deadlines being in terms of units, not individual assignments. If you don’t keep up, you could find yourself doing an entire year of mandarin work in a few days.
  • Do- Use the time given to you to do homework for your class. Typically, you will get a period of the day to do your online class work, which is usually done through a study hall. Since an online class is just as rigorous as a regular class, using this study hall for other classes will lead to an additional 40 minutes of work after school.
  • Don’t- View this class as a second priority. Even though the class is taught in a different format without a teacher hanging over your shoulder to make sure you get your work done, this class counts as much as any other. An online class is still a class, and will still count towards your GPA like any other class would.
  • Do- Engage with others in your class. In most online classes, there are 20-30 other students taking the same class with the same teacher. Use this to your advantage when it comes to asking questions or studying for tests.
  • Don't- Expect this class to be easier than regular classes. Just because you are learning the content in a different way does not mean that the content is not important. If you expect to take an online class as a study hall for credit, you will be unsuccessful and end up damaging your GPA.