Boy, time sure does fly by when you’re, I’m not going to say having fun because it was definitely not all fun, so I’ll say busy. This has only been my second term as a college student ( my college career so far has been completely online), and I must admit that I have experienced a lot more frustrations than in the first term. I realized that while most instructors of online classes are prompt in their posting of assignments and grades, as well as giving feedback when grading, occasionally there will be those that can’t get it together (I had one of these this term). Although this instructor’s untimely posting of assignments and total lack of feedback has caused a lot of stress, my innate stubbornness and ability to learn on my own has helped me to muddle through. I must lend credit to this class, Online Learning Success,  as well. As a natural procrastinator, the time management skills and tools I learned in this class are the main reason I continue to persevere and haven’t dropped the other class which is a baccalaureate core requirement. So for all of you who may be experiencing difficulty in a particular class, utilize your tools and resources. They can be a lifesaver!

I cannot put enough emphasis on the importance of the time management skills and tools that I discovered through this class. My learning style is multi-modal, and I can pretty much learn from any media. My main personal setbacks have been procrastination and memory loss (because I’m old). Learning to better manage my time and the implementation of my planner, which I believe is essential for all students, has proved to be crucial to my online success. Now, I do still procrastinate, but I procrastinate in a much more efficient manner.Learning how to utilize the OSU resources to discover areas for student involvement has also been interesting.

Through searching the OSU resources, such as the online Library and the college website that governs my major, I discovered a source of study that I did not know was available: the Hatfield Marine Science Center. One of my goals is to attend classes at the Marine Science Center in the summer of 2016. In doing so, I would not only be fulfilling some of the requirements for my major, but I would also be giving my children the wonderful experience of living close to the ocean, if only for a few short weeks. Who knows, maybe we’ll love it so much, we’ll decide to stay!

Hi everyone! My name is Noka, and I am a 42 year old divorced mom of two teen aged girls. I live in a rural area in Northeastern Oregon where the closest college campus of any kind is nearly sixty miles away. All of these factors made online learning necessary for me. There was more flexibility in scheduling so I could still work and make time for my children’s activities, and I didn’t have to drive over that treacherous pass in the wintertime. So I thought to myself, “I’ll just take online classes. Piece of cake, right?” –NOT.

Yes, I can attend college in my jammies. Yes, I don’t have to brush my hair before going to class. Yes, no one else can see my messy desk (which is good because it may frighten some people.) But easy? It’s not as easy as I thought.

Spring 2015 is my second term of college and my second term of online learning. I finished winter term on the dean’s list, so the coursework, although challenging, doesn’t seem too be too difficult. I’m sure it will  become more challenging as I begin to take more upper level classes. The problem is me. In these first two weeks, I have learned that I am totally a right brainer. As I mentioned before, my desk is a mess, which is not a huge problem because it makes sense to me. Sometimes, though, it can be difficult to keep all my assignments in order. I, not just my desk, am also very disorganized, and I tend to procrastinate. I have learned in this class, however, some tools and strategies to help with my organizational shortcomings. For instance, I have implemented a planner that has helped tremendously when it comes to budgeting my time. In my planner, I have set aside certain days for certain classes and/or assignments. This seems to be working quite well, because I don’t feel so stressed, and I don’t seem to be cramming so much into the end of the week to meet deadlines.

I have also learned that my learning style is multi-modal. When I was in grade school and high school, I was the kid that never had to study. If I saw it, heard it, or read it, it was there in my mind. I was always “teacher’s pet”, though not willingly. My fourth grade teacher even used me as an example to another student saying, “Why can’t you be more like her? She could learn off the side of a barn wall!” I hated it because it was embarrassing, and I felt sorry for the little boy. But I will never forget it. It seems now, however, that my memory, especially my short term memory, is not at all what it used to be. I blame it on old age and diabetes. Through discovering my different learning styles, though, I have been able to incorporate different methods to help information stick in my mind. I have found some of my textbooks are offered in audio versions online. Reading along while the text is read to me seems to help me soak in the data. My kids are also studying some of the same or similar coursework. I have found that studying with them and creating interactive learning games to play with them has not only complimented my learning experience, but has aided their enrichment as well.

Though online learning isn’t as easy as I thought it would be, I am quickly developing methods and strategies to help me not just muddle through, but charge through like the cavalry. I have set goals for myself both short term ( some of them very short like I will turn in this blog post by 10 a. m.) and long term to encourage myself to reach my final educational destination: my college degree.