Learn Online. Thrive Online.

Top 10 student and faculty tips:

1. Check your Clark email regularly

It’s how you stay in touch with University announcements, course information and updates, calendar invitations, etc. You can even forward your Clarku.edu email to your personal account.

2. Check Canvas daily

Log in to Canvas once a day to keep an eye out for new announcements from your instructors.

3. Organize your work

Make a folder for each course in OneDrive or on your computer, with a week-to-week schedule. This helps you stay organized and lays out the work to be completed each week.

4. Discuss early and often

Post a discussion as early in the week as possible to allow enough time for you and your classmates to converse about the topic. Try to reply to two other posts as soon as they are available in the discussion board.

5. If you need help, ask

If you do not understand an assignment, reach out to a classmate or two for assistance. And do not hesitate to talk to your instructor if you continue to have difficulty.

6. Be a BFF to your TA

Introduce yourself to your class teaching assistants (TAs). They will most likely be the ones grading your assignments and can help answer any questions if your instructor is busy.

7. Zoom together

Use Zoom for project work, study sessions, or to socialize with other classmates.

8. Archive online

Keep graded assignments in a folder. This will help you easily refer to past course assignments as you study for midterms and finals.

9. Remember formatting and citing — even in discussion posts

Use websites like the Purdue OWL to learn how to use the correct format for research papers, assignments, and discussion posts. Always cite your references, especially in discussion posts. Follow citations in the discussion board to find sources for further reading.

10. Remember: “It’s in the syllabus”

This is good advice, whether your course is online or in person. The syllabus will remind you what to read, when quizzes and exams will be given, and what assignments are due. Most instructors will post the syllabus in Canvas and update it throughout the semester.