Taking courses online can be a little like taking courses in a foreign country. Most of us are still learning the norms and expectations of the online environment. This page explains how to make the most of your online opportunity, and how to make sure it's right for you.

Online courses can work for any student, just as a physical, onsite classroom with face-to-face instruction can work for any student–but we all know the quality of the "fit" with a particular instructor or a particular class environment varies. Taking an online class requires just as much time and effort as class on campus–and there are some new twists for most of us. To see if online classes are right for you, answer these questions:

Do you like to work independently?
Do you need convenience and an adjustable schedule?
Are you comfortable asking for clarification and continuing to ask when you need more information?
Are you comfortable working at a computer?
Do you have experience surfing the World Wide Web? If most of your experience is through a provider such as America Online, then you'll need to investigate some other paths to the web before you take on a class through the Blackboard system.
Are you comfortable working primarily with a text-based medium?
Would you be comfortable phoning or faxing your instructor if you had problems with anything in the course?

Did you answer "yes" to most of those questions? Then you'll do just fine with online courses! If you hesitated on some of these questions, you'll probably do just fine also, but you may need to work harder and more deliberately at staying in touch with your instructor.