There is no doubt that online learning is convenient. Fully online classes mean no commute (except from the bedroom to a computer) and no traffic. Students do not have to pay for campus housing, and they can complete courses on their own time and at their own pace. Essentially, online learning allows students to work their classes more easily into their busy work and family lives.

However, being a successful online student requires a lot of motivation, excellent time management skills and a strong sense of accountability. Some students struggle with online courses’ inherent flexibility. And, many students feel that, once they begin the course, that they are being robbed of a “real” instructor who can answer their questions and concerns. Finally, the any technological difficulties during a course can turn students off, and their frustration can turn into indifference as to whether they finish the course or not.

How, then, can students make sure that they maintain their online learning motivation? Here are some suggestions.

1. Carefully read the course requirements and expectation before you sign up.
   Unless you really familiarize yourself with the amount of work which is going to be involved, and with what is going to be expected of you, you might sign up for class that is too much work or one that is not relevant to you. If you are unsure about any of the course descriptions, ask for clarification early on. Nothing will destroy motivation more than having much more work than you anticipated.
2. Make sure you understand how the course is relevant to you.
   It’s important to understand why they’re taking a particular course. Understanding a course’s relevance, and how it fits into the overall course of their studies, is likely to help you stay more motivated.
3. Reach out for help if you need it.
   Don’t let problems with coursework or technology fester until you want to give up. Online courses do not have the face-to-face contact between students and instructors that traditional courses do, so if you don’t make the effort to reach out and ask for help, you’re likely to feel lost and become unmotivated to do the work.
4. Set realistic goals, and reward yourself for achieving them.
   Make sure you set defined, realistic goals for yourself, and reward yourself for reaching them. For example, tell yourself you will finish the assigned paper in two weeks, and if you achieve that, treat yourself to a night out with friends or something else you’d enjoy. Feelings of achievement greatly increase motivation levels.
5. Develop a strong support system, and look at past success stories.
   Make an effort to read about previous students’ successes with the class you’re taking, or contact previous students to talk with them about the class. Finding out what other students’ experiences were with your course can help prepare you for what you should expect, and help you realize that the concepts they are struggling with were tough for previous students, too. It’s important for students in online courses to create a strong support network for themselves, because completing online courses usually takes more discipline than traditional ones in which you have to be somewhere at the same time on the same day.

All of these suggestions are ways in which students can help ensure that their motivation levels in online courses do not wane. Online courses are meant to make students’ lives easier, and degrees easier to achieve, and with a little work in the motivation department, every online students is capable of achieving his or her academic goals.

Tags: Online Education