Does an Online University Fit Your Personality?

The benefits of an online university education are limitless. Choosing an online university that benefits you personally takes research and time, but what many people do not take into consideration is the time to figure out if an online university education fits you at all. Some consider an online university to be easy and that being an online student would be simple. Think again! The online university myths about it being less demanding than a traditional education aren't necessarily true. In fact, the structure, library and social structure that a brick-and-mortar school gives you aren't there to help you through your online education. To be sure that choosing an online university is the right option for you here is six qualities of highly successful online university students. 1. You're good at time management * Having the freedom of deciding where and when you do your work and study is extremely liberating... if you're actually going to do it. Not having someone tell you which chapters to read when can be hard for some people, and can make a person fall extremely behind in school work. If you don't know how to schedule time out of your day to work/study, and more importantly stick to it, than you will have serious problems with participating in an online university. Discipline is a huge component of time management. 2. You're an independent learner * Some students work best when there are people to study with - hence the development of study groups, study partners, TAs, etc. You do not have any of this when you learn in an online community. Now, this does not mean you will be totally on your own with no human interaction. There are interactive features of an online education like IM, discussion boards and emails but not having the face-to-face contact might be too much for some students to take. 3. You have excellent reading and writing skills * Being able to write coherent papers and read long text books is a necessity in any upper level school environment, but being able to articulate your feelings and concerns in emails to your peers and teachers takes solid writing skills. 4. You aren't afraid of technology * Know the basics of Microsoft Word before even considering an online university education. You don't need to be a technology guru to participate in an online class, but knowing Word, Excel and PowerPoint along with having a full knowledge of e-mail capabilities and discussion board etiquette will go a long way and could be the make it or break it aspect of an online university career. 5. You're good at setting goals * This skill goes almost hand in hand with being able to manage your time efficiently. Setting goals is a skill you will need to have in order to have any chance of success at an online university. Setting goals can come in the form of setting dates for assignments and papers that are due to setting how much research you want done by a certain date. 6. You have your own space * One of the best assets of a traditional school is the amount of space to get away from it all and get work done! There are libraries, cafeterias, empty classrooms, and open spaces for individuals or groups to study and get work done in. When you choose an online university, you do not have that luxury. Having your own space, whether it be your own room, your own apartment, or your own Starbucks to get work done at, having space set aside where you know you can get work done is a necessity.