Get a buddy

Taking an online class with a friend can be a huge motivational factor. When you take a class with a friend, you can talk together about what you are learning, do homework together, and give each other support. Talking together about the class helps you to understand the material. When you understand what you are learning, you are more likely to stay motivated to keep up with the class. Doing homework together is also motivational to participate in the class. If you are regularly scheduling time to do the homework for the online class with your buddy, you'll participate in the class more often and not be loaded down with an entire semester's worth of work in just a few weeks. Doing a class with a friend is just like taking a class with a friend in a traditional setting. You keep each other motivated to continue the class and participate in it by supporting each other and being there if the other needs help or someone to brainstorm with. If you are planning on taking an online class, find a friend who is also planning on it.

Take a structured online class

A lot of online classes have class participation as voluntary and a final test to ensure you learned what you were supposed to learn. This is not a motivational environment to take an online class in. You will be more likely to participate in a class where participation is required at least three times a week. Take a structured class that is more traditional in the sense that homework is due every week, you are required to participate in online discussions during the week, and testing is throughout the semester rather than just at the end. Taking a more structured online class will help you stay motivated to treat it like a traditional class that you participate on daily or tri-weekly basis.

Get a traditional support system

Traditional classes come with traditional support systems. You have your classmates, your teacher with office hours, campus resources, and teacher's aids. All of these different types of support help you to stay motivated to participate in a traditional class. You can build a traditional type of support system for your online class too. Meet your online classmates, exchange emails, and create an online study group. Your online class professor should provide his or her email address that you can use to address questions or if you need a little extra support. Find your online and campus resources that will support you through the class. If you don't have a teacher's aid for your online class, you can find someone who has taken the class before to assist you when you need it. Get a traditional support system going and it will help you to stay motivated to participate in your online class throughout the entire semester.