Online classes are becoming more and more popular as colleges learn the value of offering their students a variety of options to make their educational experiences as easy to incorporate into the daily lives as possible. If you are going to college or are thinking of going you’ve probably contemplated the question of “Are online classes for me?†the simple answer is that it just isn’t that simple. Everyone has a different way of learning and therefore would benefit from different styles of teaching. To help you resolve the question “Are online classes for me?â€, below you will find 4 questions that will offer you a clear understanding of what is needed for online education.
1.    Are You Self-Disciplined and Good at Staying on Schedule? – Because online classes are less restrictive you need to have a good sense of self-discipline, prioritizing and the ability to stay on schedule. If you have trouble with procrastination the prospect of relying on your self-discipline to stick to a schedule of class assignments might put you in a bad situation where you aren’t completing coursework on time. The most successful online students don’t require guidance or constant attention to stay on task.
2.    Do You Work Best Being Shown and Told About a Subject First Hand or Do You Work Best Reading About a Subject? – A great deal of online classes rely heavily on written materials and instructions, so you must be able to not only correctly interpret the instructions, but learn from the written coursework without someone offering you in-person tutelage on the subject. Some people learn better in a classroom setting while others are fully capable of teaching themselves about a subject if given the proper coursework beforehand. Before you consider enrolling in an online class you need to determine if you are a person that is able to take minimal instruction and get a proper education from it.
3.    Do You Have a Reliable Computer, Internet and Comfortable Place to Work? – Having the right equipment and location in your home for taking online classes is vital to successfully completing them and gaining a beneficial knowledge from the course. Your internet and computer must be reliable as they are your only source for getting your class materials, communication with your class instructor and delivering completed assignments for the class. They need to be able to load and play video instruction, audio files, open chat discussions for the class and so forth. You also need a place in your home where you can comfortably complete class assignments quietly and without interruption. These three things are paramount to taking online classes and shouldn’t be forgotten in answering the question “Are online classes for me?â€
4.   Are You Comfortable on the Internet and Your Computer? – Though online classes don’t require a thorough knowledge of a computer and the internet, you do need to be comfortable enough on them to complete all aspects of the online class coursework such as emailing assignments to the instructor, participating in chatroom-like open real time class discussions, downloading/playing video and audio content and much more. If you aren’t capable of doing these sorts of tasks and so forth you might find yourself unable to do a significant portion of the class assignments and in trouble of getting a failing grade for it.
The Bottom Line
Online classes offer a great deal of benefit to students from saving gas money to childcare costs and the ability to work out a busy work and family schedule, but they aren’t for everyone. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to things like self-discipline, computer technology, educational needs and so forth is an important part of determining if online classes are the right choice for you. Before you enroll in an online class really contemplate these questions and the ultimate question of “Are online classes for me?†before you begin the journey of online education.Â