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Before you pay for an online course, you should be realistic about your ability to manage your time and to follow a structured schedule for the course. Ensure that you have enough time to dedicate to studying, finishing your assignments, and passing the class.  This course will be taught at a college level. If you feel uncertain about your abilities to complete college-level coursework, this might not be the best option for you. If you’re not confident in your computer skills, you should consider strengthening them before taking an online course. It might be a good idea to narrow down the list of most needed skills to just a few items to make sure you can develop those skills in time before the course begins. Many courses will list a summary of what the course will cover, a syllabus of the work that will be required, or have pre-requisites that you must complete prior to the course.  If you are taking this online course for a degree program, make sure that you have completed any pre-requisites for the course. If you are attending another college, but taking this online course through a different university, check with your university to make sure that this credit will be accepted towards your degree. Purchase or borrow any required textbooks or course materials prior to the start date of your class. For most online college courses, you will need to ensure that you have enough hard drive memory and that you are using the most up to date operating systems for your laptop or desktop computer.  If you do not meet these requirements, the online course module may not work correctly and you will be unable to complete the course. Though you may be able to use a public computer, like one at the library, it’s better to have a personal computer you can rely on to complete an online course. Technical courses may have specific requirements for the amount of RAM, hard drive space available, and the operating system that you use. You will need consistent and reliable access to the Internet for your course. Hone and practice your computer skills if you are uncertain whether they are strong enough for the course. You can even enroll in a brief computer literacy class before starting the course. Beginning the course with a good relationship with your professor can be a very helpful way to establish a good rapport with them for the rest of the course.  Before the course begins, reach out to your professor. This can be a simple email introducing yourself to the instructor and letting them know that you’re excited to begin the course with them. If you ever have the opportunity to speak with your professor in person, take advantage of it. If you work part time or full time, you should let your employer know that you are taking college classes online so they are aware of your time restrictions.  If you work full time, see if your employer offers tuition reimbursement or tuition reimbursement. If you have an HR department, they will be the best resource for this inquiry.  If you work part time or have a flexible work schedule, ensure that your work schedule does not conflict with your study schedule or any scheduled class times. If you have children at home, arrange childcare before the course begins. It can be very difficult to focus on online coursework if you are caring for children at the same time. Arrange for consistent childcare during the times you know will be doing coursework and studying.
Be realistic about your expectations. Carefully read the class requirements and syllabus. Confirm you meet the technical requirements. Connect with your professor. Notify your employer that you are taking classes.