Getting Good Grades Online

A long time ago … at a university far, far away, I took a class with a great professor that I will refer to as Dr. C. He was the kind of instructor that could hold your total attention for hours. He was brilliant, witty, entertaining, and wasn’t afraid to tell the truth. In fact, you couldn’t pay students to skip Dr. C’s lectures, and since it was such a large class, students that were not even taking the course would occasionally slip in for a free lesson (his classes were actually better than the movies they showed in the Student Center, so if you were looking to do something interesting for a couple of hours, finding an empty seat in his class was a good choice).

But Dr. C. was a bit of an eccentric and had made an odd arrangement with the university library. Every student attending his class had to go to the library and check out something from the Special Collections section for a grade. It wasn’t just anything, but some book or something that he had placed on reserve. When you went to the librarian and asked for it, they would ask to see your I.D. and would then write down your name to give to Dr. C. When Dr. C. received your name from the library, you would get an A for that assignment.

When I went to the library to check out whatever it was we were supposed to read, I didn’t know what to expect. I went through the ritual of asking for it and showed my I.D. The librarian then handed me a stack of worn and rumpled papers, stapled together. Like I said, I didn’t know what to expect, but it sure was not a pile of dog-eared papers. Mystified, I found a seat and looked at the cover page:

How to Get Good Grades in College

by Dr. C
I have to tell you … at first I thought it was a waste of my time, but as I read on, I began to understand that Dr. C. was giving us the inside scoop on how to do well in school. It wasn’t just stuff like “study hard” or “take good notes” (that was in there though), but it also contained pure gold about getting an edge in the education system. It was straight forward, and like Dr. C. himself, didn’t mince words. Not only did I apply what I learned from those crumpled sheets of paper to graduate above a 3.9 gpa, but years later I ran into him and was able to thank him for it.

So, now it is my turn to pass on the tradition …
But, I am going to cover online education in what I hope is the same “no nonsense” approach used by Dr. C. Here goes:

How to Get Good Grades Online

1. Study hard and take good notes.
Okay, now that is out of the way and we can get on to the more serious items of our list. But before we move on, you should know that when you take notes, your brain has to process the information; you hear it or read it, translate it, then pass it on to the part of your brain that handles writing. In other words, your brain deals with the same information at least three times. You cannot help but learn it.

2. E-mail your teacher.
Let’s call it like it is. If you have no contact with your online professor, you are just a name on a computer screen. Sure, you do your assignments on time, but what else have you got? Professors are people too, and people work within personal relationships … so make it personal. I’m not saying send an e-mail telling your professor that you got a new puppy. But you can make a class related connection that will make you stand out in their mind. And don’t wait for the professor to make the connection; they are juggling dozens of students (hundreds at some universities). This is about YOUR education. Making a connection with your professor does not guarantee an “A”, but it will make you more than just a name on a computer screen in the professor’s mind when it comes time to grade assignments.

3. Ask questions!
If you do not know something or understand some part of the lesson; ask! I know, I know, you do not want to look foolish to the professor, but think of it in a different way: you are paying for an education and if you miss something because you were afraid to ask a question, then you are not getting what you are paying for. Plus, e-mailing a question is a great way to cover #2!

4. Let them know if your assignment will be late or if you are having some difficulty.
Even if late work is not accepted, it is the professional thing to do. Professors are people and they understand that life sometimes interferes with education (remember that they have gone to school, too and have had similar issues). If you do not have contact with them over any problems, they are going to assume that you do not care. But if you show you are trying and do care, they may be more receptive. On the other hand, don’t have an excuse every week for not turning in your work. That outwears its usefulness very quick!

5. Watch what you write!
Keep in mind that 80-90% of all human communication is conveyed through body language and facial expression. There is no body language or facial expressions in an e-mail, an I.M., or a chat (Okay, I know … that is why people use emoticons and smiley faces). You may think your e-mail is warm and friendly, but without seeing your smiling face, it may come across as hostile. Read what you have written and make certain it says what you want to say … and how you want to say it.

And for goodness sakes, use Spell Check! (This is an institution of higher learning, you know.) If you do not have a Spell Check function on your e-mail, then type every correspondence with your professor in a word processor first. Let the computer find the typos and grammatical errors, then copy and paste the whole thing in an e-mail (yes, even if it is not an English class). I promise that you will get more respect from a well written e-mail than one that says: dUde, R U reeDing mi emals?

6. Taking tests.
If the test is timed and you are having trouble with a few answers, skip the ones you do not know and go back to them later (but with online tests, make certain that you can go back before going to a new page). If you still do not know the answer, then play a probability game by eliminating the answers you know are not correct. In a multiple choice test you can usually get it down to two answers. This gives you at least a 50/50 chance of getting it right. … and never leave a question unanswered! There is no chance of getting it right if you do not answer. Even if you have no idea what the answer is, take your best guess to increase your chances.

7. Not turning in an assignment.
Okay, this is bad, but sometimes stuff happens. Let’s say you had a terrible week and there are three assignments due, but you only have time for two. Look at the assignment specifications and figure out which two are worth the most points. This may seem obvious, but you would be surprised at how many students do not think of this. DO NOT make this a practice. This is only in case of emergency … and do not forget to notify your professor about the LATE assignment (#4) … It is not that you are not going to do the assignment, its just late … if you get my drift.

8. Ask for feedback early.
The online education system is perfect for showing your work when it is partially finished. Ask your professor if you can show them what you have done so far to get some input from them. This accomplishes three things: opens up a personal dialogue (#2, remember?), gets you a little personal instruction, and makes certain that you are headed in the right direction for the assignment, thus helping your grade.

And be receptive to what they have to say. Keep in mind that they are trying to help you. If they give you advice and you become defensive, they may not be as straight forward next time (if there is a next time). Let them teach you something.

9. Make yourself a time and place to work.
One of the best things about an online education is that you can do the course work on your own time. This does not mean “whenever you get around to it”. Try to set aside a specific time each week to do the work. Make certain that you have a good environment, free from interruptions. I know this is tough, especially if you are working from home, but the ability to concentrate and do your work without distraction is very important.

If you can’t get any space or time at home, go to the library. If that doesn’t work, try some other means. Here is one that a friend of mine uses ... He consults on very large projects from his home and for years had trouble convincing his family that even though he was in the next room, he was actually at work (Daddy, can you put Barbie’s head back on?) . He made himself a large badge and put it on a lanyard that he wears around his neck. The badge says something like, “Please, do not disturb!” The rule is, when the badge is on, pretend he isn’t there. It may seem a little weird, but it works for him.

Well, I hope that I have done Dr. C. justice. Use these rules as best you can. Oh, yeah … did I mention “study hard and take good notes”?

Now, go forth and get good grades.