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Prepping for Your First Online Course

Once you've decided to get online degrees from brand name schools, you'll need to prepare for your first online course. Make sure you go through these steps before class begins.

  1. Verify that your computer is up to par. Your school should have a page or a document on its site that describes the computer requirements for students.
  2. Set up folders for your course. To keep track of assignments, the syllabus, and course calendars, you might want to create two folders for the course. Make one physical folder to keep printouts and other printed reading material. On your computer, make another folder on your desktop for all of your assignments, papers, projects, etc.
  3. Take a tour of your virtual campus. Take some time to navigate around your school's website and get familiar with its tools and resources. You should have a username and password that you will probably be required to input before you can access certain portions of the site.
  4. Go to the bookstore. Usually, degrees from brand name schools require some combination of printed and electronic reading material. Before your class begins, visit your school's bookstore site to order your texts. Delivery can take up to ten days in some cases, so make sure you do this well in advance.
  5. Explore the classroom. You should be able to log into your online classroom at least one day before the class begins. Log in as soon as possible to familiarize yourself with the layout of the online learning environment. Figure out where you post discussion comments, contact your instructor, turn in assignments, and so forth.
  6. Scan the syllabus. In the materials portion of your online classroom, you will find the syllabus. Take some time to read it over before class starts. Reading the syllabus ahead of time will help you prepare for what you are going to study, how much reading the class requires, and when important due dates fall.
  7. Post your bio and find a buddy. Online instructors usually ask students to post their bios/introductions on the first or second day of class. Post your information and read through your classmates' bios to find yourself a study buddy for the rest of the class.

Compared other online schools, Graduate Degrees can also be obtained through Brand Name Schools!