This whole on-line learning thing has really thrown me for am loop. One thing that I have definitely learned is that I am a hot mess. But another thing that I have learned after interacting with my peers is that is ok. It’s ok for me to learn things differently and that I shouldn’t be ashamed of that. That really is valuable, not only to my sanity but to my confidence as well. Over the last few weeks I have spent a great deal of time learning my strengths and challenges. My greatest strengths are that I am committed, I am organized and that I welcome change. My biggest challenges are getting distracted while being on the computer……oooh look facebook….and that I have a hard time with the way most material is presented in an on-line classroom. I learned that I have a multimodal learning method which really upset me at first because I thought it meant that I should be able to “get” the material no matter how it is presented to me. So I was like, what on Earth is wrong with me. But after spending a little more time with it, I realize that multimodal means that I learn best when the material is presented to me in different formats. Telling it to me really doesn’t help; neither does just reading about it. I need visuals and hands on tools which I know, going forward, will be my biggest challenge. But I am determined to not let it get the best of me! I really do want to succeed! And I will not be held back by whatever learning disabilities seem to be plaguing me. I gots this!
Hello,
I think it’s great that you recognize and accept that you may learn differently than others and you DEFINITELY should not be ashamed of that. I agree, it’s important to your self-confidence because if you put yourself down to much then you will ultimately become discouraged in your academics. I’m glad you remain determined and motivated and I’d like you to know we are all learning. I’ve been out of school for 8 years and a lot of my former classmates are already graduating with degrees! I felt really behind and put myself down a lot because I felt like I was behind in life. I had to keep reminding myself that we all have different paces. I’m finally starting college but I am just glad that I got to this point. Keep your head up and good luck!
For me it was opposite. None of my friends had continued on to college. I started a trend when I decided to go back. Now they all want to be like the cool kid (ME:) and go back to school. But it was hard for me when I started….13 years after HS. It was hard to stomach that these barely 20 year old was more ahead than I was. Took awhile to get used to. Thanks for your kind words and good luck too!
Good for you for getting back to it later! Stick with it – it’s well worth the effort! I went back a few years after I was out and then continued through graduate work. I’m back now picking up courses for my professional acumen.
Hi! Don’t worry about being a hot mess, I’m a hot mess, too! You already have an advantage simply by being organized. I am not organized at all. Organizational skills can be very important to online learning, because we are learning in an independent setting. We have to figure out what to do and when, and what works best for us as individuals. It gets a little easier as you go through the terms. This is my second term, and I have noticed, as with the first term, that the first week or so is very hectic. Then things start to smooth out a bit. So don’t worry, keep with it, and I know you’ll do great!
You know what? I’ve been at this for a few years now and I still dread the first week of classes because of their chaotic nature. I think that is when I feel the most overwhelmed because I have all this information that is just out there and I haven’t had a chance to sort it all out. I wish that things like course schedules and syllabus could go out to students before the term starts. I really would like to start off the term with a plan. That might help my anxiety a little. Thanks and good luck to you too!
This is actually my third year taking online classes, so I am used to it. My freshman year however I felt so lost. I had no idea what was going on, where to turn in work at or how to study using the materials they were giving us. As for learning, everyone learns differently. Sometimes it really takes all of the learning tools to be able to say, ‘oh I get it now’. If you need visuals to learn I would suggest watching the lectures in your class and reading along with them. If your class does not have lectures then try Khan Academy or just google search lectures in that subject. There were many times I had to do this for math. Good luck to you and if you need help don’t be afraid to reach out.
I did almost a year of being fully on-line at Phoenix and am almost done with my first year here at OSU and I feel more lost here than I did at my last school. It was a lot easier to manage at Phoenix because you take just one class at a time and it lasts for 5 weeks. It definitely easier but as you can imagine, it would have taken FOREVER to finish my degree. The thought of having to sit in front of a computer for 5 more years was too much to handle so I switched. But after a year at OSU, I still haven’t gotten used to it. I’ve toyed with quitting one of my jobs but 1) we depend on those incomes and 2) I really like being a teacher and a librarian so I don’t want to give any of those up. I know I’ve done it to myself by taking too much on, but how do you turn down such great opportunities? I was hoping to find my groove by now but it hasn’t happened yet and im realizing I have to make a choice. Either work or school. Doing both is just too much and takes time away from my family. I’m kind of stuck as to what to do.
I am easily distracted too (squirrel)! I sometimes do my course work after hours at work and then my work is all there, starring me down. I might need to consider making a separate work space at home (read, “clean up my office”)! You might consider closing all your browser tabs and setting an amount of time before you can go look at anything else (small increments to start). It’s helped me in the past. Best to you!
One thing I tried was switching to my netbook for assignments because it can’t handles sites like Facebook or other distracting place very well. It works really slow so I get frustrated and don’t even try to do anything else but school work on it. Its kind of old but it gets the job done. The next thing I need to work on is not having my phone nearby. That is a huge distraction for me too.
I know this may see so simple and mediocre. I prioritize on a needs vs wants system. I did this when I was younger, working multiple jobs and just trying to live. It worked well for a budget. I had a note card with all my needs (rent, utilities, groceries, etc…) and then the other side had wants (movies, concert tickets, travelling, etc…) Once I could achieve a need, I would get a want…within reason. I do the same with this school. I WANT my weekends….and I kinda need them to. I try my hardest to complete all my assignments in the beginning of the week as to enjoy the weekends. Also, I’m not much of a party person Monday through Thursday! Good luck. You will win the battle!
This is a great strategy and one that I should really get back to. I used to follow this religiously when I was on campus. I looked forward to the weekends with my family so I would make ever effort to get my work done before then. But then again, I didn’t work at all and was able to separate good amounts of time for each class. This school thing is definitely a lot harder with 2 jobs. I am currently on day 12 of a 16 day stretch of work and am so burnt out. At this point my wants and needs are the same thing. I WANT to be done with school and I NEED to be done with school lol. My sanity is hanging on by a thread!
First of all I love your title! I think it sums up everyone’s point of view on college not just online learning. I am so young so when you say your a hot mess I completely agree. I am 22 years old have already done almost 4 years in the military and now I’m getting out and my husband and I are just stuck. We have no idea where to start. Where do we want to live, how are we gonna raise our unborn daughter, how are we going to afford living in the real world. It’s 100% distracting. I’ve known what I wanted to do with my life since I was a child but he keeps changing he’s mind. So now all we can do is wait. And honestly I am so effin scared it’s not even funny. So I am hoping not only to get an education out of going to college but meeting people I can really interact with and learn from. So when you say you’re a hot mess, more than likely everyone else is too!
Wow, you have accomplished a lot for being so young. What a wonderful example you will set for your daughter:) As far as not knowing what to do, it is scary. I had major anxiety while I was pregnant too trying to figure it out. But once she came, it was like things just naturally worked themselves out. Everything just fell into place and i discovered what I was meant to do. It’s funny how having a kid can do that to you. Good luck to you and don’t worry so much. I’m sure you and your little family will find your place of happiness:)
I like what you said about remaining flexible. Sometimes we just don’t understand things the way the are initially presented. And that is FINE. Don’t get down on yourself, and never think that just because you didn’t get something initially, that you will never understand it. Remain patient, think things through (and in varying ways), and always believe in your self.
Hello, I think it is pretty cool that you can identify that you may be a “hot mess”. I think so many people think that they are okay with their schoolwork before it is to late. I find it really interesting about your other online distractions. Why I think it is interesting is because I have not seen someone say anything about how easy it is to look up or watch something different when you are on the internet. It really is only a click away when it comes to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Etc. I also have a small problem with getting distracted easily. I also learned that I am a visual learner as well. I agree with you that it can make things a little bit more challenging when it comes to learning. I think most of the stuff you learn is just reading or listening to lectures. I hope all goes well for you and it seems like you understand yourself pretty well.
-Joey Cramer