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Is Distance Learning Right for You? The Skills You Need to Succeed
More people than ever before are trying to decide whether to pursue distance learning or a traditional college
experience. As attractive and as convenient as it sounds, not everyone is a good candidate for distance learning.
There are certain qualities and skills that make some students better at this type of learning than others. If
you've been considering distance learning, take a few moments to read about the skills you'll need to succeed.
Self-motivation
This one skill alone will separate the successes from the failures and it's perhaps the biggest issue to consider.
When you participate in a distance learning course, you'll be given assignments to complete and you'll have tests
to take. But what you won't have is somebody checking your progress daily or even weekly. Let's face it - much of
the schoolwork you'll be given isn't going to be what you'll consider 'fun'. Can you motivate yourself (as often as
it'll be necessary) to get the work done? If you can, then you possess one of the most important skills necessary
to succeed at distance learning.
Procrastination
This is another big pitfall and it's something that can impede your success with distance learning. If you're a
procrastinator, you'll need to change if you plan to succeed. Don't think for one moment that you will have less
work than you would if you were sitting in class. You probably won't. In fact, you'll probably be surprised at the
amount of information you'll be required to digest. If you can schedule your time so you can work, play and study
without waiting until the last possible moment to do your schoolwork, you'll have a better chance at
succeeding.
Reading comprehension
When you're in a classroom setting, you'll be lectured, you'll participate in debates and question and answer
sessions, you'll watch videos and you'll participate in other types of interactive learning. With distance
learning, most of your time will be spent reading lots of complex material. If you have good reading and
comprehension skills, you'll have a better chance of succeeding. If these skills are weak, this could hinder your
progress.
Easily distracted
If you're the type of person who is easily distracted, you'll have to make sure you have a suitable place to study.
When you are studying, you cannot allow yourself to be distracted by friends, family, phone calls, television, the
Internet, anything. If you cannot resist all these temptations you will never be able to absorb and comprehend the
material you're trying to learn.
You're a social animal
A big part of school is the social interaction. Whether it's lunch at the student union, sorority parties,
all-you-can-drink happy hours, heated debates inside the classroom, or just plain old people watching, you will not
have any of this with distance learning. If you're the type of person who won't be able to function without the
social interaction that happens on and around campus, you'll need to reconsider distance learning. If you're okay
without it, then distance learning might be right for you.
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