Thanks to the wonders of technology, it is now possible to go back to school and pursue a bachelor’s – or even a master’s – degree in any field of your choice without moving near the university or becoming a fulltime student. In fact, there are more majors to choose from than ever, allowing fulltime employees, stay-at-home moms, entrepreneurs and even high school graduates to pursue a degree of their choice from the comfort of their home or office.
If you’re already on your way towards taking an online course, then this article is definitely for you. In this part, we’re going to take a look at some of the best tips to keep in mind as you complete the course and pursue the degree.
While you can choose to study at your own time, never enter an online course without a clear schedule and the determination to stick to it. Set aside a minimum of one hour a day for studying and you’ll have no trouble at all keeping up with the course.
Degrees from top universities like the University of Arizona require you to complete the same amount of credits and course hours – including assignments and exams – to graduate. Unless you’re fully committed to the program, there is a big chance that you will not make it to the end.
With the right level of commitment to stick to the schedules, however, you’ll have a wonderful time studying for the degree. In fact, you will have no trouble at all building your business or working a full-time job while being in school.
Unlike offline students, online students need to take active steps towards getting course materials and connecting with lecturers to ask questions. The online learning platform used by the university will give you access to a lot of study materials, but you still have to search for books and extra materials to really understand the subject. You also need to introduce yourself to the lecturers and rely on them to get your questions answered.
Always connect with lecturers early. As you enter a new semester, contact your lecturers through the learning platform or via email and introduce yourself. This way, you don’t have to worry about introducing yourself again when you need to ask questions about the course.
Lastly, don’t hesitate to complete the online course at your own pace. Some online courses allow you to complete a master’s degree in as little as 12 months. You can pick up a masters in public health online in that same period of time. You can also pursue the public health degree online and complete the course in as little as four years. The pace at which you take the course is yours to set.
By pacing yourself properly, you can keep a nice balance between work, personal life and school. You don’t have to sacrifice one or the other and can instead have a lot of fun doing all of them. This tip – and the previous ones we talked about earlier – will help you complete an online course without a problem.