Things you may not have expected about studying online

As I began to prepare to start my studies through Open Universities Australia (OUA), I formed a mental image of what I'd be doing for the next three years. Once I received some course materials and welcome letters, this mental image started to change. Once I got access to the "student portals," it shattered completely. So to share the knowledge, here are six things you may not have known about studying online.

1. Not all units have audio lectures
   This little detail surprised me more than anything else I discovered. I had assumed that I would be downloading weekly audio lectures for each unit but in reality, only one of my classes for the entire first year of study has a lecture. Instead, learning is managed through readings, exercises and tasks and discussion forums (much like tutorials).
2. Your course will not be purely "online"
   The obvious exception to this rule is the textbooks you'll need to purchase but you can also expect a heavy study guide and dossier of readings to show up in the mail. Some courses also have invigilated exams that you'll be required to travel to. Don't worry, most offer exam locations in multiple states and even countries. 
3. Forum participation is often graded
   Every comment, every post, every response you make to someone else may make up part of your grade. This inspires a level of paranoia you may never have experienced before. You will craft the most exquisitely worded sentences of your life in search of the perfect grade. 
4. Your units may not all be from the same university
   There are typically limitations on how many elective units you may select from other universities but it may surprise you to learn that some of your required core units are only offered from other institutes. It is never a large number but check in advance if you have any as you'll need to adjust to using a different student portal. 
5. Facebook is suddenly going to become a key part of your study routine
   Social media is your new best friend. Make sure you search for facebook groups for you degree and for individual classes. These are often more lively and open than the formal discussion boards and students are far more honest. It's also worth asking someone who has taken your courses before if they will mentor you and keep you motivated. 
6. You might be better at studying than you think you are
   The majority of people studying online are mature aged students (which in these circumstances just means over 20). Most haven't studied in some time and it doesn't take long to realise you've forgotten most of the studying techniques you had previously. This is a blessing in disguise. I was pants at focussing when I was in my teens. As an adult, it is much easier to develop a decent routine, to stay motivated and to complete all your weekly work. You will probably be better at this than you expected. 

Studying through Open Universities - starting out blind

Hello and welcome! In case it's not blindingly obvious, this is a new blog with no real content yet. I've started it to share my experiences with online learning (or distance education or whatever you'd like to call it). My plan is to share my experience of various classes, the online assessment system, planning and preparing, reaching out to fellow students and anything else I think might be useful (or at least not boring). 

Like many people my age, I had a bit of a trial-and-fail issue with my first attempt at uni. There are all kinds of reasons this happened and all kinds of excuses I could offer but the fact remains that after 3 years of study I left university at age twenty with no degree and no understanding of the need for higher education. 

Four years later, I'm back in the game and studying through Open Universities Australia. When making the decision to go back to uni, OUA was my first choice. I work full time in a job I love and I have a bad habit of changing countries on a regular basis so this option made the most sense. The advantage of still having Fee-Help didn't hurt either. However, the biggest problem I found when researching and planning was that it's hard to know what to expect. With the exception of some videos on OUA's own website, no one seems to be really sharing their experiences. 

What this means is that I have just committed to a highly expensive, three year program without a clue as to how it will turn out. As yet, I've no idea how OUA classes work, how they're typically assessed, how to plan, how to prepare or anything else that would have been truly, truly useful. 

So here I am - little old me - doing my best to make it a tiny bit easier for the next person who faces the same dilemma. You're welcome. I'll try and be humble as I accept your worship.