Some people view distance or online learning with trepidation. This isn’t without cause, as sometimes, badly-designed programmes end up alienating the very people they were designed for. Here are 5 tips for distance learning success that will help you survive on a program.
1. Be Mentally-Prepared
You don’t go on a journey without preparing a map, having money, taking along water, et al. Likewise, don’t embark on a programme without understanding what is involved. This isn’t some stroll in the park. There are outcomes to be achieved here. These achievements will require commitment and effort.
2. Be Organised
It’s very important to make a plan for yourself. This will cover things like research, tests, and analysis. Along with each item of achievement, you should attach a time-frame for completion. Your plan objectives should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Bound). If you have other commitments in your life (e.g. work or family), then you should plan for those, and around those. It is vital that you keep a supportive environment around yourself.
3. Be Curious
Choosing a programme is not just about the piece of paper – it’s about the learning. Never forget that. How do we learn? By asking questions of the subject matter and of ourselves. We already have many generic problems and answers. Try and find something novel, unique. Put yourself in different shoes and see how differently you can walk.
4. Be Strict
Yes, we all want to take on the world and win. How many times have you heard someone sigh “If only there were more of me”. If you are sighing like that, then you are taking on too much and you won’t be able to win, effectively. Cut back on unnecessary things. Do you really need to replicate another textbook on Plato or Freud just to be able to explain the concept of greed? Also, the higher up you go academically, the less diverse you can afford to be. Choose something, specialise in it.
5. Be Happy
This may sound trite, but if you aren’t happy with something, it’s going to affect you. It’s going to affect your concentration, your motivation, the way you write and research, and the tone of the work. And hey, you are working to achieve something. If you are not happy with that, why bother starting in the first place?
