Your Online Instructor
Talk with your Online Instructor whenever you have a question about an assignment or don’t understand something in the course.  Don’t be afraid to ask!  There’s no limit on the number of emails you can send, and you’ll always get an answer.

Your Mentor
Keep your Mentor posted on how your course is going.  They can help you stay motivated and on schedule.  And if there’s something you need at school (more computer time, for example), ask your Mentor for help.

Your School’s Site Coordinator
The Site Coordinator is the person at school who’s in charge of the online course program.  They will help you find the right course, get signed up, get your course materials, and make sure the computers at school are properly set up and available during scheduled class periods.

Study Tips

Stay on schedule
Students tell us the biggest challenge they have in their online course is staying on schedule.  You won’t see a teacher in a classroom every day, so it’s up to you to know when your work is due and to submit it on time.

• Be sure to print out the activity score report, with the complete course outline and due date list.
• Since all of the activities in a lesson are due at once, complete them in stages to avoid getting overwhelmed.
• Talk to your Mentor and your Online Instructor if you’re falling behind.
• If you’re having technical difficulties, contact technical support.  Most vendors have a direct email link or toll-free phone number.  If you are taking a course locally, check with your Mentor to find the quickest support solution.  Don’t wait!
• If you have a legitimate reason for falling behind, ask your Online Instructor whether you qualify for an extension.

Do all the work in your course
You may be tempted to skip activities that don’t count toward your grade.  Don’t.  If you don’t complete the Tutorials and other unscored activities, you won’t do well on the scored activities.

Take notes
Most online modules or lessons have lesson outlines or study guides that give you an outline for taking notes.  Print the outlines and collect them in a notebook.  They’ll help you when you have to study for a quiz or are doing homework.

Read your Online Instructor’s comments
Your Online Instructor will read your assignments, labs, and tests, grade them, and comment on your work.  He or she will tell you what you’re doing well, how to improve, and what you need to review again, and also give you tips on how to think through something you’ve gotten wrong.  Instructors should return work to you within four days.  If you are not receiving timely feedback, contact your Mentor right away!

Stay in touch…

Get to know your Online Instructor and the other students in your course.  You may be studying with students from all over the country, with points of view very different from what you’re used to.  Take advantage of the opportunity!  Your Online Instructor is ready to answer any question, no matter how big...or how small.  Talk with your Mentor too- they’ll want to know how you like the course and how you’re doing.

If you are having problems with the your online course and have contacted the Online Instructor and your Mentor, don’t hesitate to for help.