Online learning can be scary and stressful if you’re not prepared for the challenges ahead. However, you can take steps to empower yourself as an online student so that you feel more confident, learn more efficiently, and make better progress toward your educational goals.
Confidence not only helps you understand where your starting line is, but it also helps you lay out the path you’ll need to reach your goal. If you believe in your abilities, you’ll find ways to make things work for you.
Read on to discover six ways to empower yourself as an online student.
1. Change Your Mindset
Before starting your journey, you must change your mindset. If you don’t have confidence in yourself and your abilities, no amount of education is going to help you.
First, it’s important to know that online education is just as valuable as traditional education. Thousands of successful businesspeople started their careers with a diploma from a reputable distance-learning program. Take advantage of all the resources online courses have to offer.
Second, you should come to terms with the fact that it won’t be easy. Just like any other challenge, your education will have its difficulties. There will be times when you struggle, and there will be times when you feel like giving up.
That’s why you must have confidence in yourself. Never let a challenge or setback stop you; if anything, use it as motivation to keep going.
2. Invest in Your Skills
We all know what it means to be competent at something. It’s that feeling we get when we know we can get things done. But if you’re looking to empower yourself in your online studies, you’ll need more than competence—you’ll need skills and expertise.
Before becoming a confident, self-directed student, it is worth investing in some skills or furthering your education through online independent learning or community college courses. It will empower you and enhance your prospects of getting jobs that offer high wages and advancement opportunities.
So while they may take time and money, these investments are well worth making if empowerment is one of your goals as an online student.
Developing higher-level skills can have multiple benefits beyond just boosting your confidence level. Skills will help you earn more money in your job and open up opportunities for advancement, which is likely why you’re working hard toward that degree or certification in the first place.
3. Seek Out Mentors
If you’re ready to be empowered and confident, one of your best resources will be other people.
Look for someone who has achieved what you would like to accomplish and find inspiration from them. If you want to learn more from your mentor, you may want to ask them these questions:
- What did you do?
- How did you find mentors?
- What bad decisions did you make, and how can I prevent making them?
All online learning requires you to develop a level of confidence that won’t always come easily. Having a mentor is a great way to keep yourself in check when doubts start bubbling up.
Be proactive about finding a mentor; don’t just sit back and hope things will work out on their own. Your efforts will pay off if you take some time to get involved in community groups, offer to help other students, or reach out directly to successful professionals.
The effort you put into connecting with others could help provide you with everything you need to understand exactly where your starting line is and how you can achieve success. In doing so, you’ll lay out a path for success for yourself too.
4. Reach Out to Your Teachers
It’s impossible to achieve a high level of confidence without any guidance, which is why you should seek help from your teachers.
They can teach you important concepts and provide valuable feedback and advice. Knowing your professors have your back can be one of the most significant sources of empowerment for online students.
5. Have a Consistent Study Time
Incorporate consistent study time into your schedule. Setting aside study time every day will go a long way in helping you build confidence as an online student.
Incorporating a set routine into your weekly schedule helps you stay on track and ensures that no random busy day will throw off your momentum.
6. Be Patient
You’ll likely never get it right on your first try, but there’s no shame in that. Confidence doesn’t come from getting it right out of the gate but from learning to persevere when you don’t.
You need a little persistence and encouragement along the way. Set small goals for yourself and celebrate every step along your journey. You are building up your confidence one baby step at a time.
Confidence is not something you can expect to build overnight. It comes from improving your skills and gaining experience through trial and error. You may even want to start with easier tasks so that you can experience success early on and become more confident in tackling more complex challenges later.