Many potential students ask whether online learning is suitable for them. Whilst many want to undertake some form of education to upskill themselves so that they will be able to advance their careers, they are also worried that they will not be a suitable candidate for studying a course online.

These days, we are somewhat expected to ensure we have the most relevant courses and qualifications to be the frontrunner in our workplaces and industries. We are expected to continuously upskill ourselves to ensure we remain relevant and are across all of the developments happening in our industries.

The majority of us do not have the time to work, study, and spend time with our families. Thankfully, with the advancements in technology and the improvements in our internet infrastructure, taking an online course is not just a dream, it is a truly practical option! In fact, of the 4.2 million students enrolled in a certificate or diploma course across Australia in 2017, many of them were enrolled as online students!

So, what do I have to do to succeed?

Manage and plan your day well

I could not stress this enough – plan, plan, and plan some more!

It is important to have a workable plan in place to make sure you are able to manage your study and your other commitments efficiently. Draw up a plan that you can easily follow and move around, a plan that is balanced. Ensure you have sufficient time allocated for other things such as exercise and catching up with family and friends – as these activities are really important in keeping you motivated and (not to mention) sane!

It is also important not to leave things to the last minute! Don’t wait till you have 2-months left on your enrolment to try and get through all of the learning material and assessments! Don’t wait till the night before your deadline to write up a 2,000 worded report. By setting up a schedule for yourself, you can avoid these last minute horrors and actually excel in the course!

Be organised and set achievable goals

Read through your course requirements and skim through your assessments when you receive them to understand what is required of you and for you to gauge how much time is required to be spent in order for you to accomplish the tasks. Set yourself mini-achievable goals (instead of deadlines as our brain works better when we view these tasks as goals) and a checklist on what you need to have or what you need to do for the unit.

Setting goals and writing up a checklist can help you feel in control and hold you accountable by removing obstacles that might be in your path. It helps to keep you on track rather than lose focus and forgetting where you left off. It also helps you visualize and communicate the details of your goals to yourself which is an important factor in keeping yourself motivated!

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Nothing great is ever achieved alone. Seek the help of your Trainers, ask your mentor for assistance, call your best friend in to help you study and research on the problem you are stuck on; whatever you do, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

I know for some, asking for help is an uncomfortable thing to do, and understandably so. However, we don’t get to where we want to be if we don’t stop and ask for directions. By courageously seeking out help, you can save hours (or for some even days!) of fury and disappointment and understand a problem or a concept better.

Lee J. Colan once said, “Nothing we achieve in this world is achieved alone. It is always achieved with others teaching us along the way.” Remember that!

Be persistent!

In the pursuit of success, there is no more useful or important trait to possess than persistence. Being persistent is not simply being able to get over Mondayitis, it is a mindset, particularly when the goals you have set are difficult to achieve or you cannot envision a clear path to get to where you desire to go. You need to be driven to find a way to get what you want.

So, don’t just settle on mediocrity. Persist, no matter how tough it is to excel and be the best version of you! You can find out more about a popular online accounting course here or a popular online business course here