Starting a new educational path can be challenging — especially for online students who often juggle work, school and a personal life. Ensuring that each student has adequate support and guidance while working toward their online degree is of the utmost importance. Having an online coach and mentor available can help ease the transition and develop strategies for success in achieving a degree.
Online coaches and mentors are becoming increasingly common in online programs. At ASU Online, for example, coaches are full-time professionals who help online undergrad and grad students thrive inside and outside of the classroom and provide customization based on individual needs, interests and strengths. Online coaches are offered for everything from transition (adjusting to college life) to transformation (realizing potential and dreams).
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Having this resource available is one thing, but it’s also important to understand how to fully take advantage of an online degree coach to ensure you’re receiving personalized assistance from enrollment to graduation. Here are three ways to do so.
1. Do your research: Among other important factors, it’s critical for students to research their potential online degree program’s resources and support offerings. From helping adjust to life as an online student, to offering success strategies and reminders, to connecting to program resources, coaches should be a guide along the way to ensure degree completion is a smooth process and cheer the student across the finish line.
2. Be transparent about your needs: Students will find the most success by viewing their relationship with their online success coach as a two-way street. Be transparent about your needs and challenges, and be open to their solutions and ideas. One ASU Online student said to me that she told her coach one of her goals was to get straight A’s, and when she had a B in one class, the coach called to discuss it with her. The student said that follow up — and that the coach listened and cared — helped her respond.
Our coaches, for example, work with students via email, text, chat or by phone, depending on the students’ preference.
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3. Don’t go through the process alone: Pursuing a college degree is a life-changing endeavor, and your coach is with you the entire way. They not only serve as a resource through the admissions process but will also check in to ensure that students are on track to graduate, answer any questions and flag any missed classes or assignments that may cause concern. Take advantage of their wealth of knowledge and trust that they’ll guide you through the process.
The takeaway: Regardless of students’ individual paths, an online coach should be a major part of their personal success and offer the connection, support and resources that will help them achieve their goals.
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3 Ways a Coach Can Benefit Online Students originally appeared on usnews.com
