As a new online learner, there are things you can do to make yours a successful, rewarding experience. Some are common sense, like being prepared and getting your work done on time, while others are less intuitive but important. The following tips, based on advice from experienced online instructors and students, should help you get the most out of your online learning experience.

Get Comfortable
Spend some time at your computer and on the Internet everyday, getting comfortable with your equipment and surroundings. Practice your computing skills until you feel confident that you can complete class assignments. Try uploading and downloading files, and exchanging documents via email.

Be Prepared
Read the syllabus and other course materials carefully. What are the class requirements? When are assignments due and in what form? How can you contact the instructor and your classmates? How can you get help if you need it? Mark important dates on your calendar.

Plan Ahead
Download and install software that you need for class early, then practice using it. Software programs take time to learn, and the time is not the night before an assignment is due. If you'll be accessing the Internet from work, find out if your company has a firewall. Will it prevent you from accessing particular web sites or using browser plug-ins to view video and audio? Interfere with file transfers? Learn how to get around it now, so that you can connect when you need to.

Get Organized
Set aside a significant amount of time each week for class work. Distance education classes require as much time and effort as instructor-led classes. Develop a schedule and stick to it. Without the structure of weekly class meetings, you may tempted to put off class work until the last minute. Instead, you should give yourself extra time to do your work, because technology can slow down the process.

Depend On Yourself
Without an instructor and fellow students nearby to offer help and support, you'll be relying on yourself more than ever. One way is to use the resources that are available to you, including online help, tutorials, manuals and the Internet. Another is to monitor your own progress by knowing where you are in the course; which assignments have you completed? Which lay ahead?

Develop Good Habits
One way to be a successful online learner is to develop good habits early. Email will be your main form of communication during the semester, so get into the habit of checking it at least once a day. This is particularly important if you're working on a group project, where timely communication is essential. Another good practice is to send copies of all project-related mail to the whole group, so that everyone knows what is going on.

Communicate
Online classes require some communication with the instructor and fellow students for assignments and class activities. But without regular face-to-face meetings, it's hard to develop personal relationships. In fact, it's easy to get isolated and feel lonely. Get to know your instructor and classmates by sending email, participating in discussions, and joining chat rooms. You'll find that just like in regular classes, people are your greatest resource. They can give you help, advice and support when you need it, and help get you through the rough spots. You'll also have a richer, more rewarding learning experience if you reach out.

Ask For Help
Online classes require technology skills, which develop over time. You may, for example, need to make a Table of Contents using Microsoft Word. It seems like a simple task, until you try to do it. Many frustrating hours go by and you're still not done.

If you're stuck or find yourself spending too much time trying to figure something out, ask for help! There's no such thing as a stupid question. It's a lot better to ask for help than to waste hours searching for the answer. When you do ask for help, provide as much detail as possible. Include a description of the problem, error messages, your platform or operating system, browser and version, etc. Keep in mind that the instructor has other students who need help, too, so don't expect an immediate response.