One of the biggest advantages of pursuing your degree through Georgia State Online is the flexibility for students on a non-traditional path. The ability to specialize in your current career with additional education, or work toward finishing your degree while working full-time, is an ideal opportunity. However, going back to school for the first time in a long time can be a big adjustment if you aren’t used to school work anymore.
Whether it's been a year or ten since you last went back to school, Georgia State is here to support you. Utilize these four tips to prepare for a great semester.
Plan It Out
It might seem obvious, but getting a strong start on your semester means taking note of assignments and deadlines at the beginning. Whether you utilize an online calendar or would rather put pen to paper, find a planner that works for you and devote time to inputting all of your due dates.
When planning out the semester, you can do more than note assignment due dates. Take it a step further and look at the calendar as a whole, noting pockets that are less busy. Successful students utilize calm times in the semester to get flexible assignments out of the way. Then, they are less likely to be overwhelmed when their schedules are busy.
Visualize Success
Even with established goals and deadlines, many students need to see the progress they make in order to stay on track. Nowadays, many project tracking apps exist to help with that.
Trello is a project management software that allows you to segment your tasks by creating task cards and moving them to different categories. Various Trello board templates are available on the website to get you started, but you can customize them based on your needs.
One tip for this strategy is to sort task cards based on importance, with categories including Immediate, This Week and Waiting. When you complete tasks, simply drag them to the Completed category, and then move on to the next task.
Make Connections
Non-traditional students may feel distanced from other classmates because of online coursework. While introverts may prefer this, those who need more human interaction should seek ways to connect with others.
Remember that enrolling in an online degree program doesn’t mean that all coursework is completed from your bedroom – visit local coffee shops or outdoor locations when your courses allow and make use of new spaces.
More importantly, actively seek to connect with your virtual classmates through apps like GroupMe or Slack. By creating a group message, you can help each other remember important information from class and discuss what you learn.
Ask for Help
According to a recent Best Colleges Trend Report, 25% of online graduates reported dealing with unexpected life events as one of the top challenges for completing an online education program.
Georgia State understands that even with the flexibility of online programs, some circumstances make it more difficult to complete coursework. However, you aren’t alone. We share tools for online success and provide student success coaching to meet every student where they are in life.