Your professor is a busy person. They may not have the time to answer your questions when it gets closer to the test date, no matter how much they guarantee. There are things they just cant control, that makes them unavailable. This is especially true concerning taking classes online, as you don’t have physical access to your professor. But what if you have a pressing question that needs to be answered before the test? Don’t worry, as we’ve compiled 5 great resources to use in order to get your question answered.
- Utilize the course teaching assistants. More essential with online courses than in the classroom courses, teaching assistant that help move the course along, or directly assist the teacher in various tasks are important to your own learning. As you’re going through the online course, make sure that you are well connected to these assistants, as they may be former students themselves, or have a passion in that topic of study. So be sure to utilize them; they often are more available than the professor.
- Access the classroom forums. As you’re learning online, your professor is going to have a dedicated class website. This is where you can get your syllabus, be informed of deadlines coming up, and get general information about the class. Another huge tool is the classroom forums, where students who are taking the class you are, or have taken the class in the recent pass can post messages about class topics. Then everyone has access to be able to respond to those messages. This is a great way to get your questions answered when your professor hasn’t gotten around to responding to his emails. Be sure to utilize this great resource, as it will enhance your learning.
- Utilize the Internet. You are doing all of your learning online, and being online itself is a great resource. Look to Google, or other methods to find the answers you need. The information available is more than what you can find in your local library, and it is all at your fingertips. If you need some great resources to look at, check out our recommended resources guide here.
- Network with your classmates. Like you, your classmates are going to be on their computer, learning as well. So why not use them as a resource as well? Exchange screen names so you can chat to each other when you have questions, or during class you want to ask them to clarify things. This not only helps you learn, but also helps you build relationships with your otherwise anonymous classmate.
- Visit other class bulletin boards. The classes that you take are from accredited online colleges. So the classes you can take and materials provided are very similar to the traditional universities. This means that not only can you visit the websites of other classes from those universities, but also visit those bulletin boards as well. This is a great resource to find if the other people are having the same issues as yourself, and a great way to find out the answers.
