The following are some tips that may help you to succeed in an online course

• Review syllabus: Review syllabus carefully to become thoroughly familiar with the course requirements;
• Mark dates: Mark dates in your personal planner or calendar so that you do not miss some course milestones such as exams and assignment deadlines.
• Get familiar: At the beginning of the course, explore the course extensively to see where everything is located. Blackboard is not designed in a way to include all the course information and materials in one place. Check all the items in the course menu.
• Participate: Though there is no attendance requirements as you would experience in a face-to-face class, your professor can actually check how often and how long you are online. So make sure you do not wait till the last minute to do everything. Check your course frequently for updates and activities. Participate in online discussions.
• Find time: Though you may not be required to “appear” in class at a particular time, you’ll find it helpful to schedule some time to study the course every day, or at least several times a week. Be prepared to devote at least 6-8 hours each week to the study of an online course. Set aside such time each week.
• Find space: You may use a variety of places for your study, especially on our campuses of ubiquitous connectivity. However, it is always going to be helpful if you can find a quiet place to study with minimum distraction.
• Do your work You will need to complete course activities in sequence or manner that the professor describes in the course syllabus. You may also find that many activities have time limits. Some course activities may not be made available before or after the specified window of time.
• Ask questions: If you are confused or lost (which are not rare in online courses), simply ask questions either in the discussion area or send emails to your professor or peer. For technical questions, you may also want to contact the Support Central.
• Show courtesy: Even though some discussions posts may be anonymous, it is still necessary to show respect for your professor and peers. Common courtesy and respect will help to create a supportive and positive learning environment for all of us.