As a student of an online Master’s program, I’ve learned over the past 6 months that being a fully online student is so much different than someone might expect--especially as a grad student. Personally, I think it’s harder. And while not too many people take exclusively online classes, a lot of students do take at least one online class during college.

So what have I learned that might help?

1. It's not the easy way out.*

Online classes have a tendency to take even more dedication than face-to-face classes. You can obviously email your professor questions, but in a physical class, you might be more likely to ask things. To add to this, you don't feel as supported a lot of the time, making it hard to keep going. For a perfectionist like me, it usually means that I feel like the student that lags behind.

*I never thought it would be.

2. Learn how you stay motivated.

Everyone's different. Figure out how to keep motivated. This is the perfect chance to learn about yourself. Do you work best after some exercise? Maybe a light walk? Or you work better at night than during the day? Music, or no music--what kind? Harsh lights, warm temperatures, cold ones, blankets? College tries everyone on motivation. But, when you're taking online classes, it's a different ball game. There's no physical class to go to remember that you have due dates, or physical discussions that count as participation (because participation becomes another actual assignment you have to write), or physical office hours to go to and tell your professor about your struggles with assignments. I've found that I tend to be less communicative with professors online. So make sure you're communicating with you, meaning.....

3. Listen to your body.

Please don't ignore your body! If you can't concentrate and start getting bored, don't get frustrated with yourself! It might just mean it's time for a break or some food. If you procrastinate until the last second, figure out why. Are you too anxious? Does it seem like too much? Break it up into pieces the way those awesome professors do when they assign one project that leads into another and then turns into your final.

4. Find support.

It can sometimes feel like you're alone in your struggle as an online student, but I can guarantee that your classmates are feeling the same emotions. Don't be afraid to reach out to them! My life got a hundred times better once I found that support from my group. We had a week of bonding in another country, but maybe there was something to that. Make a Facebook group for your class, or email everyone for their phone numbers. See if some of you can physically meet up. Go grab some coffee and talk about how hard that last assignment was. And then help and support each other. You can do that with online classes, just like you do with face to face ones--just don't be afraid to reach out! And then you can do be more interactive online too--make a Google Doc where everyone can write down thoughts separate from discussion posts, make a shared Spotify playlist with music that'll help your classmates get through this, all that good stuff.

5. Print as much material as you can.

This is a terrible one. I don't want to tell people to waste paper. But, when you're online, the more you can bring the class into real life, the better. Print your readings, read out loud, mark up the paper, write on the Facebook page that you weren't sure if the author was too aggressive or if it was just you, make appointments with the online writing center. Free write your thoughts, or talk them out to anyone willing to listen (or even a mirror if you need to). Make physical schedules with times of when you'll do what with your day (include non-class things too). Make sure to include breaks and plan for procrastination (we all know it's going to happen!). And celebrate. Celebrate your finished assignments and your crossed-off schedules!

While I know a lot of this applies to face-to-face classes too, it's important to hone those skills with online classes because it can be more difficult to do things like stay motivated. They can be brutal when you feel like you're facing it alone and when all you know about your classmates is from the discussion posts and their comments. So try your hardest to make it interactive and involve your classmates. Get through it together. Come up with a system and stick to it. And make sure to go outside and take lots of breaks!