MEMORANDUM
The faculty and staff at California State University at Northridge are pleased to welcome the incoming students for the 2016-2017 academic year. It is our goal that you be provided with a positive learning experience, and the ability to achieve success in your academic pursuits. It is for this reason that the following suggestions are forwarded to all incoming online students. Adherence to these recommendations will aid in the successful completion of online courses.
Ensuring Success
Purchase and/or have access to all textbooks and other materials required for the course. Instructors will require that discussion posts, papers, and essays involve the reading or use of these materials.
Be pro-active. Communicate with your instructor when questions arise. Since you are not physically able to interact with the instructor and other students, it is important to communicate through discussion posts, etc. Communicating online will aid in providing you with further insight as to subject matter.
Prioritize and manage your time effectively. Attempt to determine what amount of time and effort will be necessary to achieve one goal vs. another.
Submit assignments on time. Failure to do so may result in inferior grades or failure of the course.
Inhibitors of success
Do not procrastinate. When taking an online course, it is tempting to leave the work until later. This results in the necessity to meet a “deadline” with little time left.
Do not fail to have a full understanding of what is expected. Again, communicate with your instructor if clarification regarding requirements is necessary.
Do not ignore feedback from your instructor(s). This is important in gaining a better understanding of what is required in order to succeed.
Do not plagiarize. Make sure that what you write is cited correctly, and that you are absolutely certain of the sources you include in your writing.
We are confident that by following the above suggestions you will be able to succeed with your online studies. Should you have further questions, do not hesitate to contact us by phone at: (818) 677-1200.
