Prepare for class - week 6

You may have experience taking online classes through dual credit or because of social distancing needs during the pandemic. This week, we'll be focusing on how to succeed in online classes in a "normal" online situation. While not everyone will take an online class, you may find that a course you need is offered only in that medium, so we want to make your experience as positive as possible. As you may know, online classes require you to take a lot of initiative.  You have to know when your class starts and ends, how to use the software, and how to use your time wisely.

During Week 1, we talked about the importance of communicating with your faculty members. That doesn't end with the first week! Successful students develop the habit of staying in regular contact with all their instructors, whether in person or online. Remember, too, that you can meet online instructors in person and in-person instructors virtually. To this end, you will be asked to contact one of your online instructors (or, if you aren't taking any online courses, your Freshman Seminar instructor) to make an appointment for a short conversation.

The work you'll do in this class this week is intended to:

• Help you understand and interpret online lessons.
• Improve your responses to discussion boards. 

Reading Assignment

Instead of reading the textbook to prepare for class this week, you'll need to explore one of your classes that has a substantial online presence. If you're taking a class that's actually online, use that. If you aren't taking any online classes, you may use your First Year Seminar class for this assignment. Be sure to record and submit your reading assignment for the week before our normal class time.