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For many people, it has been a major decision in your life to return to school. Whether you are doing it for personal, professional, or a combination of reasons, you may bring with you a variety of doubts and fears. Don’t forget, you also bring with you a wealth of talents, motivation, and experiences. If you are one of the people out there who has not taken a college class for 10, 15, 20 or more years (or who has never taken a college class), you are not alone. But, you have taken the important first step…registering for a class!
Now that you are back in school, you may find a variety of insecurities plaguing your mind. As your brain is screaming "Why am I doing this?" you need to continue to remind yourself that this will be a positive growth experience. In addition, if you have never taken an online class, you are going into uncharted territory. Again, you are not alone. To alleviate some of your anxieties, try the following:
1. Write down your anxiety and fears on a piece of paper.
Then determine what is the worst thing that can happen if these things should occur. Many times, identifying this information actually weakens your anxiety because you can begin to make contingency plans if the “worst” should occur. And typically the "worst" is not as bad as it may originally seem.
2. Gather your resources.
Once you know what your anxieties are, identify what resources you currently have (or can get) that can help alleviate these anxieties. For example, if you are concerned that your writing skills are "rusty," find someone who could read over your first few assignments and give you feedback before you submit them for grading. This will help build your confidence and alleviate the anxiety you have about that skill.
3. Don’t let the technology scare you.
Most people in online classes today grew up taking only face-to-face classes. So, being in an online class can be intimidating. Think of the technology as a tool, just like books, chalkboards, etc. Go through the course software tutorial, review the sample online class, and read the information you get about technical requirements for the class. By following instructions and the information in the tutorial, you should have limited problems. However, don’t be afraid to ask for assistance, if you are having problems. There are technical support people available to you. It is recommended that you try something 2-3 times to make sure you haven’t made a mistake in how you are using the technology. If you continue to have problems, then write down the steps you have taken and contact a technical support person. NOTE: You may have your own technical expert in your house, if you have children—it’s amazing how much they know about technology because they have grown up with it.
4. Identify contingency plans.
If you are anxious about a specific class or topic in a class or returning to school in general, make additional plans. It is very helpful when you are anxious to over plan about that particular situation. This allows you to exercise more control over your anxieties, thus controlling them better.
5. Ask questions.
While it is important to use your critical thinking skills to solve problems, complete assignments, and monitor your educational career, it is equally important to ask questions. If you have reviewed the resources that you have and cannot find the answers that you need, then take the time to ask questions. You have a wealth of resources at your disposal. Your advisor, staff in the Distance Learning Center, your instructor, other students in your classes can all help with questions that you may have.
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