How to Be a Successful Online Student [Paperback]

Sara Gilbert (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0071365125 | ISBN-13: 978-0071365123 | Publication Date: November 21, 2000 | Edition: 1

According to the National Center for Education Statistics more than 85% of public universities offer non-residential “distance learning” courses, degrees, or career credentials. New virtual training institutes pop up every day with convenient online career certification options in business, computers, e-commerce, financial services, and health services.

Most books on distance learning merely list accredited colleges and universities offering degrees and certifications. How to Be a Successful Online Student provides the nuts and bolts of how distance learning really works and shows readers how to fully exploit online learning tools, opportunities, and resources, including:

• Expert advice on which subjects are perfect for online study
• The essential tools needed including hardware and software
• Advice on how to become a cracker-jack cyber student with tips on setting up an independent study schedule and sticking with it
• How to combine online learning with traditional classes

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Though I am the author of "How to Be a Successful Online Student," I have been amazed by the interest it has stirred among students AND providers of online education -- I think because there is very little if anything like this available, which is in practicality a "consumer's guide" to this still pioneering area of learning. In fact, some schools that do not offer the kind of "how-to" help for making good use of distance techniques have requested that the book be recommended to their students as a guidebook, and it certainly seems to serve that purpose well.

From the Back Cover

Make the grade from your own home!

There’s no question that learning brings power and success. And the Internet has opened up a whole new chapter in education. The opportunities for advancing your education are more abundant than ever. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, more than 85% of public universities offer distance learning and online courses, degrees, and career credentials. Moreover, an increasing number of career-related training courses and programs are offered online. In today's knowledge economy you can pursue—or continue—your education online from the comfort and convenience of your own home.

How to Be A Successful Online Student can help you reach your educational goals online. This no-nonsense, up-to-date book is perfect for lifelong learners, wired students, and professionals using the Internet to get educated at a distance. Here you will learn how to determine which subjects are best for you, organize and manage your online time, develop good cyber study habits, and work independently. The book provides you with the "nuts and bolts" of how online learning works including:

* How to determine whether you are a good candidate for online learning * Essential information on how to find out what software and hardware you will need to study online * Advice on what you can and cannot study online * Tips on locating online opportunities * How to combine online learning with traditional classes and much more.

Complete with helpful overviews at the end of each chapter, checklists, self-assessment exercises, and a glossary, this important resource shows you how to make the most of your education online.

Log onto your future and discover How to Be a Successful Online Student.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 266 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (November 21, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071365125
• ISBN-13: 978-0071365123
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #742,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Waste of Time & Money for Current Students, September 10, 2005

By 

Mary Clark (Bay Area, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Be a Successful Online Student (Paperback)

I have never been moved to write a review before, but I feel it is my civic duty to warn people away from this book. I am enrolled as an online student already and bought this book because it would supposedly give me tips for developing a good study schedule and, well, be a successful online student. The publisher is misleading customers by putting a big red burst on the cover that says "Learn how to set up an independent study schedule and stick to it" (did they READ this book before designing the cover??!!). This book contains nothing of the sort. The 33 pages (of 266) that are actually dedicated to coursework are almost insulting to read. For example, some of the "helpful tips" include: "you will want to have moderate experience with using a computer" and "you need goals and focus." The author then gives a website to visit for "specific information" on things like study skills and time management. This book will NOT help you be an effective online student. It might help you decide whether or not to become an online student, which is the only reason it gets a star.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good and Helpful Book but, February 11, 2005

By 

Jane Young (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Be a Successful Online Student (Paperback)

it needs to be updated. My copy of this book is helpful but I find that there are websites that no longer work and some of the information is outdated as well. Much has happened in the online world since it was written so I came to Amazon.com to see if there was a newer updated version that I could buy. Alas, there seems not to be one.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Getting there is half the fun!, January 11, 2001

By 

John E. Railing (Myrtle Beach, SC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Be a Successful Online Student (Paperback)

As a new online student seeking ways to improve my gains, I came upon this useful book that helped me maximize not only my efforts, but also my focus. Pinpointing the desired learning that I wanted was crucial and this book guided me towards a process that made my journey easy, rewarding and with meaningful results. Rather than traveling haphazardly through the maze of courses this book gave me the tools to get the program that best fit me, made sense to me and looked great. As a professional Coach who helps people focus and pinpoint their efforts and change their lives at www.coachcorp.com I consider this book a valuable assist because of the specific guidance it brings to those people seeking follow-up, online education.