Online Classes: Tips for Success

Now that we’re a couple weeks into the Fall semester, the new challenges of our online learning environment are becoming apparent. Though it’s early in the semester, many of us have already missed an assignment or forgotten a class! Don’t worry, though. With these tried and tested tips, you’ll be acing your classes in no time!

• Check your email and your course’s Canvas announcements page at least once every day

  If a new assignment is posted, or office hour times are changed, it’s best to know as soon as possible so that you can prepare for it! If you don’t already have it, you should download the Canvas app on your phone so you can see these updates immediately.

• Record all homework and exam due dates as soon as the professor makes them available

  When a course is online, it can be easy to miss an assignment or forget about an exam, especially without in-person reminders from your professor or TA. Important exam dates are usually posted on a professor’s syllabus at the beginning of the semester. Keep a planner or an email calendar updated so that you don’t forget about an upcoming due date!

• Double check that your submissions have posted correctly

  If you are scanning in documents that you have printed out and written on, make sure all pages are both legible and in order. If you are using a tablet or laptop to write on a PDF, double check that your submission has posted correctly by re-downloading it or opening it on another device. Sometimes errors in PDF editors can leave an entire page of your work blank!

• Let your professor know as soon as possible if something is missing from the Canvas page

  Professors may not realize that they have forgotten to publish assignments, modules, or videos. If you realize this has happened, send your professor a quick, polite email so they can fix the unintentional error!

• Watch video lectures live, if possible

  Watching lectures live makes it easier to stay up to date on an online course. You can get your questions answered in real time, and professors will see that you are involved in the course. If live lectures are not an option for you, make sure to attend office hours to get your questions answered.

• Follow your professor’s rules about collaboration

  At Georgia Tech, we take the honor code seriously. It’s not worth betraying your professor’s trust to collaborate on exams and individual assignments.

• Make friends!

  It helps to have friends in your class to have virtual group study sessions and to get quick answers to questions. Professors may also allow collaboration on homework, so you can compare your logic to a friend’s! Try to join a class GroupMe, and if one does not exist, create your own and ask the professor to send out the link. Look through the People page on Canvas and see if any friends are in the class, too. Don’t be afraid to reach out; chances are that they are looking for a study buddy too!

If you follow these tips, you’ll do great in our new online environment. Go forth and conquer!

Surya Akella

Director of Operations

Kavya Vrid

Social Events Officer