Online courses can work for any student, just as a physical, on-site classroom with face-to-face instruction can work for any student. But often the quality of the "fit" with a particular instructor or a particular class environment varies. Taking an online class requires just as much time and effort as class on campus – and there are some new twists for most of us. Online courses place the responsibility for course time management squarely on you, the student. To see if online classes are right for you, answer these questions: (or Click here to take an interactive online assessment)

• Do you like to work independently?
• Are you generally self-motivated?
• Do you have good time management skills?
• Do you need convenience and an adjustable schedule?
• Are you comfortable asking for clarification and continuing to ask when you need more information?
• Are you comfortable working at a computer? (When using new technologies, you know how to check help screens and manuals, and ask questions.)
• Do you have good study skills?
• Do you have experience surfing the World Wide Web?
• If most of your experience is through a provider such as America Online, please read about AOL and using WebCT
• Would you be comfortable emailing your instructor if you had problems with anything in the course?

Did you answer "yes" to most of these questions? Then you'll do just fine with online courses – if you hesitated on some of these questions, you'll probably do just fine also, but you may need to work harder and more deliberately at staying in touch with your instructor.