SUCCESS IN ONLINE EDUCATION2Anyone working toward a college degree is striving for success.When goals are set, theperson setting the goals plans to succeed.Goals are not set with the intention to fail, otherwise itwould not be worth the time and effort put into setting the goals in the first place.However,many do not consider the amount of time and effort that must be put in from the time of goalsetting to the time of completion and it seems that is typically where failure occurs.Onlinelearning is not for everyone.Many try online education and are unsuccessful.This is due in partto the fact that many students “face significant challenges in developing a new set of skills forthis type of instruction” (Roper, 2007, p. 62).I have explored countless techniques for success since beginning my educational journey.I have discovered these techniques by reading articles such as those by Waschull (2005) andRoper (2007) which outlined many factors that have contributed to online educational successfor many students.Stefanie B. Waschull reported in her 2005 article, “Computers in Teaching”that “instructors frequently commented that self-discipline was one of the most important factorsfor determining student success” (p. 190.).While this may be true of any type of education, Ifeel it is specifically true of online education because I am given some freedom in what timeframe and order I complete my assignments. Therefore, I must have a great amount of self-discipline to remain on track.Also, with online education, I do not have in-person interactionbetween myself and my instructor or classmates.Therefore, most of my motivation for self-discipline comes from within myself.Another factor as explained in Alan R. Roper’s article“How Students Develop Online Learning Skills” (2007) is using online communication withfellow classmates as a tool for success.Roper (2007) reported that many students state thatusing online communication added great value and even fun to their online course experience.In
