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More people than ever before are trying
to decide whether to pursue distance learning or a traditional college
experience. As attractive and as convenient as it sounds, not everyone
is a good candidate for online programs. There are certain qualities
and skills that make some students better at this type of learning than
others. If you've been considering distance learning, take a few
moments to read about the skills you'll need to succeed. Self-motivation
This one skill alone will separate the successes from the
failures and it's perhaps the biggest issue to consider. When you
participate in a distance learning course, you'll be given assignments
to complete and you'll have tests to take. But what you won't have is
somebody checking your progress daily or even weekly. Let's face it -
much of the schoolwork you'll be given isn't going to be what you'll
consider "fun." Can you motivate yourself (as often as it'll be
necessary) to get the work done? If you can, then you possess one of
the most important skills necessary to succeed at distance learning.
Procrastination
This is another big pitfall and it's something that can impede
your success with distance learning. If you're a procrastinator, you'll
need to change if you plan to succeed. Don't think for one moment that
you will have less work than you would if you were sitting in class.
You probably won't. In fact, you'll probably be surprised at the amount
of information you'll be required to digest. If you can schedule your
time so you can work, play, and study without waiting until the last
possible moment to do your schoolwork, you'll have a better chance at
succeeding. Reading comprehension
When you're in a classroom setting, you'll be lectured, you'll
participate in debates and question and answer sessions, you'll watch
videos and you'll participate in other types of interactive learning.
With distance learning, most of your time will be spent reading lots of
complex material. If you have good reading and comprehension skills,
you'll have a
better chance of succeeding. If
these skills are weak, this
could hinder your progress. Easily
distracted If you're the
type of person who is easily distracted, you'll have to make sure you
have a suitable place to study. When you are studying, you cannot allow
yourself to be distracted by friends, family, phone calls, television,
the Internet, anything. If you cannot resist all these temptations you
will never be able to absorb and comprehend the material you're trying
to learn. You're
a social animal A big part of school is
the social interaction. Whether it's lunch at the student union,
sorority parties, all-you-can-drink happy hours, heated debates inside
the classroom, or just plain old people watching, you will not have any
of this with distance learning. If you're the type of person who won't
be able to function without the social interaction that happens on and
around campus, you'll need to reconsider distance learning. If you're
okay without it, then distance learning might be right for you. |
