OnlineProfessor

Yes, almost every professor has a phone contact where you can reach them if you have a question, but when should you call and when should you stick to e-mail?

Good reasons to call:

• Time-sensitive issue. When there is a deadline or it’s the end of the term, and time is of the essence, then you should call. But be professional. If you’re calling just because you did not manage your time well and need an extension, it doesn’t often reflect well on you. Don’t expect a professor to bend over backwards for a mistake you made.
• Misunderstanding. If you feel there has been a misunderstanding over e-mail, it’s nice to clarify it with a phone call or a voicemail message.
• When you need extra help. If you’re stuck and just need some help or guidance, feel free to call an instructor. That’s why they’re there. They can either answer your question over the phone or respond via e-mail, if they need to check on something.

Phone etiquette:

• Call during reasonable hours. Online professors often work out of a home office; so calling them at midnight is not a great idea. Be conscious of time zone differences.
• Be detailed with your messages. Remember to leave your full name, class number and section, and a brief summary of why you’re calling.
• Be professional in tone. Even if you’re really frustrated or confused, never take it out on the instructor. Talk through issues reasonably, and you should be able to work through just about anything. Start shouting and calling names, and you won’t get anywhere.

E-mail is really your best bet for most communication because you get full, detailed responses in writing. You can refer back to them and keep a record of them as well. Plus, keep in mind that online professors tend to check e-mail more frequently than the average teacher. It’s the core of their work environment. So your response rate should be fairly speedy.

Online classes rely heavily on message boards (also known as threaded discussions or discussion boards). These message boards count as your primary participation in class, and it’s also a helpful learning tool. When used correctly, you can learn a lot from these boards, and you can also showcase your own talents and skills to the instructor.

Tips for Spotlighting Yourself on the Message Boards:

• Be thorough and detailed. Avoid scraping by with the minimum. If the school requires four entries on the message board, make sure at least four are thorough, detailed, and address all the components of the discussion topic for the week. There are often-multi-part questions, and missing some aspect of them can cost you points. Also, don’t stop at the minimum number of entries. Once you have the four, required entries, throw in a couple more. The additional postings do not need to be as long or detailed, but they should be professional and pertinent to the discussion.
• Write professionally and with proper grammar. Imagine that you’re always on a job interview in class. You want to present yourself as intelligent and thoughtful. Show this through the care you take in choosing your words and writing clearly and neatly.
• Do not be selfish. Simply talking about your own points or ideas can come off as very self-centered. Make sure you also comment on your classmates’ ideas, encouraging them, offering suggestions and building upon their points.
• Be timely. Meeting deadlines on the message board is important. No matter how your instructor handles the rules on late work, most often, late work for the message boards is really frowned upon. If there is someplace where the instructor tends to be more strict, it’s the message board.
• Be consistent. Too often, students skip a few message board discussions throughout the term. Well, those points add up, and they are often the difference between passing and failing. No assignment is insignificant.

Do you have a nasty classmate in your online classes?

Every now and then, you get a fellow student who is unprofessional or just plain mean in your class discussions. You don’t want this person to ruin your class experience, but you do not want to degrade your participation by confronting the person either.

Simple tips to address this rare but still annoying issue:

• Respond with kindness and professionalism: Do not let this person add any more negativity to the class by getting mean and nasty yourself. If you must interact with this student, simply keep a civil and polite tone, and get your part of the work done.
• Notify the instructor with a polite e-mail: Professors might not see a rude post as quickly as you do. Send them a kind, informative note about where the post is located, and ask them to review it.
• Politely ask the student to clarify his or her points: Perhaps the student is inadvertently being rude because their communication skills are a bit rusty. Sometimes, a simple follow-up question can get the student to clarify comments in a more tactful manner.
• Ignore the rude student: When all else fails and the situation is out of hand, let the instructor handle it and simply ignore that particular student’s comments. Keep your class moving forward by focusing on the other students.
• Notify your advisor and the administration: If you feel the instructor is not doing anything, most schools have a feedback or suggestions box/link. Use that or simply use your course catalog book to find your program’s dean or academic chair and notify them of the problem.

Remember to always be courteous and professional in all your communications. If your messages to instructors or administrators come off as mean rants or irrational complaints, it is less likely that you will be taken seriously.

At the start of every term, some students can get overwhelmed about how to start their online classes on the right foot. Other than the most obvious tips – complete all the assignments as directed and on time – there are five simple tasks that can get your term started right.

Five Term-Start Tasks:

• Print or save the syllabus. Keep a handy copy of the syllabus for review in a folder or on a hard drive. You want a quick and easy way to access you course map without having to log into your classes.
• Develop a contact sheet. Keep a list of important contact numbers for instructors, your advisor, the library, etc.
• Keep a list of your instructor’s policies. Usually this is listed in the syllabus, but in case it is not, it can be listed in a separate announcement, an e-mail or some other document.
• Double check your textbooks. Make sure you have the right textbook and the right edition. And if you are a late enroller, then double-check with the bookstore that they have your book order processed.
• Create a calendar of all your important due dates. Keep a master calendar for all your classes where you make note of when all major projects are due. This will help you plan ahead to get them completed on time. Some deadlines can change, so make sure you keep updating the calendar of a project changes.

Students today often try to excuse late work by saying that their computer died or caught a virus. That’s about as cliché as “my dog at my homework,” and a lot of professors will not accept this as a valid excuse.

But computer issues do occur; so how is an online student supposed to get her work submitted on time without a working computer?

Students can plan ahead to avoid missing deadlines because of computer issues. Follow these simple tips:

• Get an external hard drive or flash drive, and back up your files at least twice a week. You can get a flash drive on sale for as low as $25; however, if you are a graphics for animation major, dealing with huge media files, you might want to invest in a backup hard drive with larger memory capacity.
• Keep a current list of all the local libraries, internet cafes, and business centers that provide access to computers with internet access. Be sure to list their hours of operation as well. Did you know that even if your library is closed, you can often get a wireless internet signal from a laptop if you sit close enough to the building? Believe me, more than once, I have parked in the library lot and finished a deadline when my home internet service went down.
• Ask a few friends/family members if they can serve as backup as well. If it’s late, and the library and internet café are closed, you’ll want to have access to somebody’s computer to meet your deadlines.
• Strive to complete your work at least one full day ahead of the final deadline. Yes, this is very difficult, but something often comes up to completely mess up your school schedule – computer issues, a sick child, overtime at work, etc. But staying ahead of deadlines will actually help you stay a little calmer throughout the term/semester as a whole.

Many online students also hold down full-time jobs. That’s why they need the flexibility of online classes in the first place. But full-time work and full-time school can lead to some study time challenges. Here’s where students need to get creative, and the commute to work can translate into valuable study time.

Train/Bus Commuter Study Tips:

• Catch up on assigned readings. Take your textbook and complete all your reading during your commute. Even if your commute is only 20 minutes, that’s 40 minutes a day and more than three hours per week.
• Take notes on your assignments. Outline what you’re going to post for your next assignment. You can craft your words in advance and then just type them in when you get to your computer.
• Print-and-Go. If your class has lectures or other content online, copy-paste them into a different document and read these during your commute as well. Some schools even have a “print” option on some pages.

Driver Study Tips:

• Make your own study disk or MP3. Today’s technology allows you to record virtually anything and take it with you. Record key terms or facts that you need to study for a test, and play them in your car as you drive.
• Boost vocabulary with books on CD. Most libraries have an extensive audio book library. Check one out a week and listen to them during your drive. While not directly related to school, it can boost vocabulary, comprehension and even give you topic ideas for school projects.
• Carpool. Use this buddy system to share expenses and to also buy yourself some study time. If you take turns driving, that means at least half the week, you gain some study time.
• If possible, take public transportation. You might love your car, but if public transportation is an option, consider it just to increase your study time.

One of the best aspects of attending class online is that it can work really well for members of the military who are stationed overseas. They can work toward their degree while serving at their military posts. However, like all busy folks working full-time and trying to attend school, military personnel should keep some important tips in mind.

Tips for military students:

• Communicate really well with your advisors and your instructors. Most instructors will be willing to work around some last-minute issues, like unexpected military missions and sudden power outages that come with being stationed at a military post. However, don’t just disappear for long stretches of time and then bounce back into class as if nothing happened. This sends a message to the instructor that you are being careless and carefree about the class – not the impression you want to make.
• Disclose your military status and be prepared to show proof. Right from the start of class, notify your instructor that you’re a member of the military and that there might be some instances where you will be missing some days of class. Most instructors will be reasonable when it comes to a few days here and there. However, if it’s more than that, you’ll really need a very understanding instructor. And you’ll need to work doubly hard.
• Prepare backup plans. If you’re in a place that experiences power or internet outages, you really have to set up some backup plans. Save some of the important Web pages of your class onto a portable flash drive so that even if there are internet interruptions, your class materials aren’t totally out of reach. Some important documents are: the syllabus, your advisor’s/instructor’s contact information, and the current week’s assignments. Remember, it’s not your instructor’s job to think of these things for you. You have to make it work.
• Take your class textbook everywhere. You never know when there will be some down time. Staying on top of your reading assignments will be a great, valuable asset.
• Strive to always finish your work EARLY. If you work is due on a Wednesday or a Friday, strive to finish it at least two days early. This way, if something comes up, you will have some leeway. Always cutting it close to the deadline is never a good idea for any student. For a student in the military, it’s an even riskier proposition.

Online classes work for many types of students if they accept and work within its parameters. There are times when it will be challenging and tough, but like all good things, it’s always worth it in the end. Good luck!

Every time we start a new term or a new semester, what we do on the first day of class can help make the rest of the term run more smoothly.

Term start tip list for students:

• Keep class materials organized. On the first day of class, you’ll get a lot of information including a course syllabus. Buy a folder for each class (or a binder with tabbed sections) and keep important information organized from day one.
• Double check your financial aid. Stop by the office or call the Financial Aid department to ask if there is any more information or paperwork they need to complete your financial aid package. Checking early will help avoid things like grade freezes and course drops/blocks later on.
• Create a school calendar. Mark all important dates on a planner or calendar. Make note of all exams, papers, projects, etc. Pay special attention to the final week of class and to finals week. This way, you don’t plan anything that conflicts with study time.
• Purchase your textbooks immediately. Of course textbooks are expensive, but so is retaking a class because you fell behind to try to save on textbook costs. Sharing textbooks or waiting for a used book deal might sound like a good idea, but it rarely pays off in the long run.
• Plan to get help for tough courses. Are you scheduled to take a writing course and it’s your weak subject area? Need to take a math course and it’s never come easy to you? Get a tutor and begin working immediately to prepare for your first assignment. Take your class syllabus and textbook to your school’s tutoring center and immediately begin practicing. Build in extra time each week for tutoring. Getting a tutor after you’ve already failed the midterm exam is not the greatest idea.
• Know how to use the library. Take a scheduled tour or information session at the library. Or, as a library to show you how to use the electronic card catalog, etc. Familiarize yourself with the way the library system works at your school so when it comes time to complete a research project, you can jump right in without trying to figure out how things work.

It’s easy for online students to feel a bit anonymous when they are posting in their virtual classrooms, but make no mistake that it’s definitely a smaller world out there than you think. The odds are pretty strong that you will bump into your fellow classmates and your instructor at some point in your school or professional careers.

Until you meet again:

• Instructors often teach more than one class. It is often the case that an instructor you hassled or argued with will be teaching another class you need to take before you graduate. And there will be no getting out of it. So unless you want to suffer through a very awkward and painful term, think ahead and always be professional to your instructors and classmates.
• Your classmates today will be your co-workers tomorrow. Once you start taking classes in your major, your fellow students will likely be joining you in the professional world after graduation. Good networking now could mean a better job tomorrow.
• Instructors often work in the field you’re trying to break into. Most professors currently have jobs that you aspire to get, or they have contacts for companies that are hiring. If you impress them, they might give you good tips on how to get in. If you disappoint them, you’ll have one less ally to help you out.

A good rule to follow is to always take the high road and to always be a professional. While you cannot control the way others behave, you can manage your own temper and attitude. And quite often, in a tight market where everyone has strong qualifications, a good temperament could get you in the door.