Online Learning at WSU

By: Andrew Deklerk

November 16, 2023

Hello, my name is Andrew, this is my first semester at WSU as an online/commuter student majoring in communications. I graduated from Quinsigamond Community College in January of 2023, and transferred to WSU for the fall semester of 2023. In my freetime I enjoy spending time with friends, reading, and playing tabletop games. I’ve had many different jobs in the past, and I’m currently mostly Doordashing for income at the moment since the schedule flexibility is good for me. I returned to school part time in 2019, after a break of more than ten years, and I’ve found that online classes work really well with my sometimes hectic schedule. Since then I’ve taken a majority of my classes online, or asynchronously. Three of the four classes I’m taking this semester are online, and I plan on taking most of my classes online going forward. 

Worcester State is a well-known public university, in Worcester, Massachusetts. Worcester State was founded in 1874, and currently has a little over 6,000 students. I grew up less than 10-minutes from Worcester State, and currently live within 30-minutes of campus. I’m only on campus two days a week for a little over an hour both days. However I’ve found the campus easy to get around, and haven’t had any issues with commuting, or anything else on campus. There are many available classes at Worcester State, and quite a few online classes which I was pleasantly surprised to see when I registered for this semester. Although I’m not on campus frequently, the on campus resources at Worcester State are still quite helpful, and easily accessible. 

My Experience With Online Learning 

In the fall of 2019 I returned to Quinsigamond Community College, after withdrawing in 2009. I enrolled for two night classes, and I did well in both classes. The next few semesters like everyone else I had to adjust to taking all of my classes online during the height of Covid-19. After a change in my work schedule, and with the flexibility of online classes I enrolled as a full-time student. I found that online learning worked very well for me. I worked overnights for several years, and was already accustomed to doing my homework late at night. So being able to plan all of my school work around my strange schedule was great for me. Over the rest of my time at QCC I took all but one of my classes completely remote, or over Zoom, and was able to get my associates degree sooner than I expected. In my one semester at Worcester State I’ve been doing well academically particularly in my three online courses.     

Online Learning Suggestions 

Online learning can be a great way to go back to school after a long break. Especially if you have a busy schedule, or a long commute to campus. Everyone learns differently, and the approach that works best for me isn’t necessarily the approach that’s going to work best for someone else. However in my experience with online learning there are some things you can do to help ensure you have the best experience possible. 

1. Make sure you register early 

Worcester State offers a good selection of online classes, but there are still less online classes than there are in-person classes. Online classes can fill up quickly so you want to make sure you get your spot as soon as you can. Missing your chance to register for an online class can be a real setback. Especially if you can’t commute to campus regularly for in-person classes, and need to register for a class that’s not offered every semester. Registering early also gives you a better chance to plan out your semester, and make changes to your schedule leading up to the semester if you need to. 

2. Make a plan that you think will work for you 

Online learning is great because it gives you the freedom to work from almost wherever you want, almost whenever you want. Determining when, and where you work best is a critical part of a successful online learning experience in my opinion. Going into the semester it’s helpful to have a loose plan about when and where you plan on doing your work, so you’re not scrambling around early on in the semester trying to find time for school work in your schedule. If there’s a particular place you feel provides an improved learning environment for you, try to do as much of your work as possible there. Going into the semester it’s important to keep your plan as flexible as possible since you’ll need to be able to adjust overtime.   

3. Use the early part of the semester to adjust your plan and classes as needed

Early on in the semester it’s important to figure out what parts of your plan work, and what parts might need to be changed. Personally I try to use the early part of the semester to determine what the workload in my courses is like, and if there are any courses I might find particularly challenging. You should also look at course schedules and future assignments early in the semester so you’re not surprised by an assignment later on. Early in the semester is also the best time to make changes to your classes if you feel like you need to. You might look at a syllabus and just get a feeling that the class isn’t right for you. It’s better to look into dropping that class, and adding another one in the first week of the semester; then it is to withdraw from the class later in the semester, and not get credits. With the selection of online classes at Worcester State you’ll probably be able to add another class that works for your degree. Even if it’s not the same class as the one you’re dropping.      

4. Do what works best for you

For some people working in a silent room is best. Personally I like having an audiobook, or music as background noise when I’m working. One of the great things about online learning is being able to do your work in an environment that works for you. Once you’re familiar with your classes you can determine a routine that works best for you. Sometimes it’s best to do your easier assignments first, so once you’re done with your hardest assignment you’re done for the week. Other times it’s best to start with the most difficult assignment just to get it out of the way first. Once you have a good feel for your classes, and a good idea of the amount of work each of your assignments require, these types of decisions are easier to make. Online classes give you a great deal of freedom when it comes to how, and when you want to do your work. Once you figure out the approach to online learning that works best for you, stick with it, and build on it in future semesters.  

5. Online learning doesn’t mean learning alone

Worcester State has a lot of resources that students can access to help them with academics, and other issues. Just because you’re taking classes online doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to use these resources. If you feel like you need help in a class you can go to academic support, or request a Zoom meeting with your professor. If you’re having issues getting Blackboard to work correctly you can go to the library, and talk to the help desk, or get in touch with them online. Whenever I’ve had to reach out to anyone at Worcester State they’ve been incredibly helpful with resolving whatever issues I’ve had. There are resources available to you as an online student you just have to make sure you use them when you need to. 

Final Thoughts and Future Blog Plans

In my short time at Worcester State I’ve been impressed with the amount of online classes available, and the quality of those classes. I believe that being able to choose the types of classes that work best for you is a critical part of a successful learning environment. While many people prefer the structure, and hands-on learning experience that comes with in-person learning, there are still people who prefer learning online. Worcester State does a good job of allowing students to choose what type of learning environment they prefer, and schedule their classes accordingly. Going forward I plan to update the blog at this blog after the semester, and at least once a semester after that for the remainder of my time at Worcester State. I’m hoping to post more online learning suggestions, and tips that worked for me. In the hopes that they might help others with their online learning experience.