Ordering Books for Less

If you are taking classes online you may not have a set bookstore where you can shop for your textbooks. If that is the case, there are a number of different places that you can go online to purchase textbooks. The difficult part is finding the right books at the right price. As soon as you find out the books that you are going to need, begin searching for the titles online.

Decide whether or not you want to purchase used textbooks. While these won’t be in mint condition when you receive them in the mail, they will have all of the information that you need for the class. Most of the time people who sell used textbooks will let you know if the cover is ripped, if there are highlighter marks inside or even in the book is in good condition. As a side note, remember where you purchased the books from so that if you want to you can sell yours when the class is over.

Purchasing a new textbook isn’t going to save you as much money, but there are still ways to get a discounted price. Find a website that compares textbook prices. You should be able to see a list of websites, their textbook price and even the cost for shipping. Again, these may be sites that you want to keep in mind if you choose to sell your textbooks at the end of classes.

If there are other people that you know that are taking some of the same classes are you are the two of you can share a book. Or, if you are in the same program as someone in your area or nearby you may be able to work out a deal to exchange the books as you take different classes. When it comes to paying for schooling things add up quickly. You can chose to save some money when you attempt to order used textbooks or discounted textbooks online.

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Setting Up a Calendar for Online Classes

Organization is key when it comes to taking any type of classes online. A calendar can be one of the best tools to make sure that you know what is going on at all times and can plan to meet every due date. If you are taking multiple classes getting all the information on one page can help you set priorities and use your time wisely.

Find a calendar. You need one that has enough room for your to write down things like assignment names and testing dates. While you may be tempted to add this to your personal calendar remember that you may become overwhelmed just looking at all you have going on in a week or month. Keep these things separate. If you don’t already have a calendar you can always print one online for free. Usually these can be customized to the shape and size and how much room each date will have.

Start with the information from one class and add it to the calendar. If there are assignments or projects due, make sure they are on the calendar clearly and legibly. Next add all tests and quizzes for the month. Many online classes last between six and twelve weeks. If this is the case, you can staple two or three months together to get the overall picture.

A highlighter can be a great tool when paired with the calendar. You can choose a different color for each class and begin to highlight assignments. You ma end up with a rainbow of colors at the end, but at least you have some idea of all that needs to be accomplished and when. Some people find that marking tests and quizzes in another color (separate from the rest) can ensure that those dates are noticed and it reminds them to study before the big day. Each person should look to find the system that works best for them.

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Making Time for School Work

When you take classes online, time management may be something that you struggle with. Because there is no set class time and no teacher to hold students accountable, some people struggle. Independent study has so many benefits and makes school possible for so many people that just may not have the available time to go to a school and sit through a class. However, it is important to make sure that you set aside time specifically for school work.

Even though there is no “class” that you are going to be attending regularly, you need to set up a time that is going to be “class time.” Choose a time of day that you are going to read the textbook, work on the lessons, or even watch some of the seminars online. This time is not negotiable. Turn the cell phone off, don’t answer emails or instant messaging. Just work on your classes. Remember, if you were sitting in a room listening to a teacher lecture, you wouldn’t be able to play games or check out your latest social network post, so don’t do it at home during school time.

Let others know about the time that you are setting aside. If you live with friends or family, they may not realize what it takes to get a degree online. They don’t realize that you need to work on school at specified times to make sure that you are getting your work done. Talk to them about it. Explain that you have set aside time for school. They would not be able to come in and ask you to please help them find the remote while you were in the middle of class at school and so they shouldn’t do it at home either. You can always help them when you are finished. You don’t want to waste you money by not completing the school work assigned, so set some time apart just for school.

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Communicating with a Teacher for Online Classes

One of the most difficult parts of taking classes online is the lack of interaction between student and teacher. There are, for the most part, no face to face meetings or discussions about the class or the material. In order to communicate it is necessary to speak with an instruction online through email or other postings on the class web-page. While this is nontraditional, it does have its benefits.

When you email a teacher with a question or comment, the computer saves the email that you sent as well as the email that you receive back. In this way you have a complete documentation of all of the conversations between you are your teacher. You can ask for specific information or answers and have them stored in case you want to go back and reread them or reference them again for another assignment. Make sure to save all of these interactions until the course is completed and you have received your grade.

If you were going to a traditional school you would have to wait for office hours to talk to someone about an issue that you are having with a class or assignment. Now, if you are up studying in the middle of the night and run into an issue, you can just send off an email and work on something else. You have done your part and you can just wait for a response. This makes communication easy and convenient for you no matter what time you choose to complete assignments.

Because there is some lag time between sending an email and getting s response you don’t want to save anything until the last minute. It is important to ask questions early and before you run into a problem. If you even think that you are going to need an extension or clarification on some of the directions, send the email right away to make sure that you get the answer in time.

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