How to Fail at an Online College
Just as there are specific strategies used by students who are successful in college, there are also commonalities between those students who don't perform so well. It can be difficult to transition to the new responsibilities of online coursework, but there are certain habits and actions that should be avoided as much as possible.
Procrastinate
The first and most obvious habit to avoid is procrastination. Putting work off until the last minute is a favorite pastime of students. After all, why do today what can be put off until tomorrow? This tactic may work in the short term, but sooner or later the work snowballs and there simply isn't enough time to finish it all. This is especially important for online students who, in addition to their coursework, have family responsibilities, full-time jobs, and homes to maintain.
Such responsibilities can lead to last-minute issues that require immediate attention, like a hospital visit or a botched presentation at work. When this happens, the student has little choice but to put off his or her coursework until the real-life problem is dealt with. If the student's coursework wasn't finished already, there will be even less time to finish it. Moreover, because online courses utilize less class time in favor of more independent work, it can begin to pile up extremely quickly. Procrastination is the bane of students, and should be avoided whenever possible. And although self-motivation can be a difficult habit to get into, it is hands down the most valuable skill that can be learned during a student's career.
Skip "Class"
Another way for online students to be unsuccessful is to skip out on class time. It's true that students attending online institutions don't have to deal with the same class requirements as those at campus-based schools, but online lectures and chats with instructors are just as vital to receiving a good grade as showing up to class at a traditional school.
If a student fails to attend online meetings, not only do they risk failure (attendance is often required to pass the course), but they also miss an important opportunity to get an explanation of new material and to ask questions about old material. It may not take place in a traditional classroom, but showing up to class is an invaluable aspect of online courses, and failing to do so will put a student's grade in jeopardy.
Be Unorganized
Being disorganized will kill a student's school career almost as fast as procrastinating. Given the heavy workload placed on online students, combined with the numerous other matters that take up their time, being disorganized will not only lead to a failing grade, but can also be detrimental to the student's personal or family life. This is more of a problem for younger students who come to online universities either out of a structured, high school environment or as transfers from other schools. Online schools are quite unstructured, simply because there is very little physical face time with professors. This can be a benefit or a burden, depending on the individual. A student that has weak organizational abilities will either learn them quickly or will get lost, while a student that is proficient at organization will flourish.
Failing at an online institution is something that, while entirely possible, is easily avoided with the right mindset. However, there are still certain skills needed to succeed, and without which failure is a distinct possibility. There are many pitfalls into which students can tumble, but a motivated individual will be able to avoid them with ease.