What Necessary Supplies And Motivation You Need To Start Your Study
Bryan Wong

Defined Tag: Successful Education.

To start your study, you need to first decide what degree
you are interested in pursuing and what institutions offer
what you are looking for. 

Once you decide on the institution you are going to attend,
you need to decide whether you will attend online courses,
traditional classrooms, or a combination of both. 

While those who attend traditional classrooms will need many
of these supplies as well, this article will focus mostly on
what the student who takes online courses needs. 

You're going to need money for all of the following in order
to be able to take online courses. Some of these you may
already have, but for the rest that you don't have, you'll
need to invest in them. 

1. The online course and the materials you will need in
them. 

2. A computer. A laptop may be advantageous for you if you
need to access your courses on the go, such as at work or in
a study group. 

Specification-wise, your computer should have

- a Pentium processor that runs at 300 MHz or higher; - at
least 128 MB of RAM; the more you have, the more
resource-intensive applications you can run at one time; -
an Operating System of Windows 95 or higher or Macintosh 8.1
or higher; - a disk drive (floppy, CD, or DVD) to download
course materials and save information; - a modem to connect
to the Internet; - some kind of word processing software on
your computer to complete assignments - MS Word is the most
popular, though there is also WordPerfect and AppleWorks; -
a sound card and speakers; you won't be able to hear your
professor's lectures without them. 

3. An Internet connection. Preferably, you should really
consider high-speed Internet connections like cable or DSL
because the video feeds professors will use to show their
lectures online will come across better with fewer
interruptions than if you are on dial-up. Having a smoother
video feed will likely aid you in learning the material
better, rather than only having the video play for 5 seconds
or so, then pausing for 5 seconds or so, then resuming, etc.
 

In addition, cable and DSL will allow you to upload and
download your work assignments that much quicker; a 1 MB
assignment would take at least 20-30 seconds to download via
dial-up, whereas it would only take about 2-3 seconds at
most to download via cable or DSL. The time saved can allow
you to get to work quicker. 

4. Investing in a high-quality printer. While you may not
need a printer to print out your assignments and turn them
in like you would in a traditional classroom setting, you
likely will want to take some of the course material with
you to read and review when you are on the go, rather than
taking your laptop and powering it on all the time. 

An inkjet printer or laser printer would be your best bets;
a laser printer especially if you are just printing out
text, while an inkjet printer might be a better choice if
your course materials include a lot of graphics, as inkjet
printers normally handle graphics better than laser
printers. 

5. A good quality, comfortable chair that supports your
back; after all, you are going to be spending considerable
amounts of time in this chair logging into your online
courses, reading the material, downloading your assignments,
preparing your assignments and uploading them, conversing
with your online classmates, etc. If you are uncomfortable
in your chair, it's likely your performance will suffer, so
invest in a comfortable high-quality chair that fits your
height, allows your feet to rest squarely on the floor, and
allows you to perform at your best. 

6. The desk you have your computer on; make sure there is
enough room for you to have all of your necessary supplies,
such as paper, pencil, mouse, printer (unless you have it on
the floor,) etc. It's better to have enough room for all of
those necessities rather than trying to shift everything
around when you need a specific item, as this will save on
time and frustration. 

After acquiring everything you need to succeed in your
online courses, you then need to put forth the time and
effort to succeed at those courses. Only your determination
and persistence will allow you to do that. 

It may take some getting used to participating in an online
course because of the lack of verbal communication, plus you
need to stay focused and determined to complete the course,
even when your career or family life provides outside
distractions. 

Some tips to stay motivated include

- setting goals and charting your progress so you don't lose
your motivation and fall behind in your class. 

- talking about what you are learning with a family member
or friend, as this will aid your learning of the material. 

- "talking" about the material with your online classmates
via chat rooms, message boards, email, and instant
messaging. If you can meet with any of them in a study
group, that would also be beneficial. 

- keeping in contact with your professor and your online
classmates to help you stay positive in times when you have
doubts or experience frustration over the online course. 

- rewarding yourself from time to time with activities with
loved ones and just taking time out for yourself. This will
help to recharge you and and your motivation to complete the
online course. 

Successfully completing your online courses involves having
the necessary supplies and motivation, so make sure you are
prepared before enrolling in your online courses. 

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