Asking For Support & How to Recognize When You Need It

1. Are you expected to know everything?
2. Do you actually know everything?
3. Do you mind helping other people if they ask for your help?

If you answered "no" to all or most of those then we're on the right track!
When you go over a lesson and feel like it was written in a foreign language... when you look at an assignment and think "omg where do I start"... if you bomb a quiz... your document isn't uploading to the course... if you're trying to solve a math problem and you just don't get it... and many more issues you may face- that is when you open a handy-dandy email and address it to your teacher, learning coach, and student advisor and explain what's happening. Getting 1, 2, or even 3 answers back is better than none or procrastinating and getting behind or letting stress tear you down.

Your support team is always ready and eager to help you out. You feel good when you're able to help other people out, right? That's why I know, for a fact, that your team enjoys hearing from you and always has your back! We're ready for all questions and problems, big or small, ten times a day or ten weeks from now. 

1. Is it okay to ask for help?
2. Are you expected to ask for help when you need it?
3. Is it okay to feel uncomfortable, try something new, and go outside your comfort zone to accomplish a goal?

If you answered "yes" to all of those questions then you're already mastering one of the skills that will make you a very effective online student! 

Pomodoro Study Sessions: A time management technique for working at home

Have you ever found yourself logged into your course to get some serious work done and then 15 minutes later found yourself scrolling through social media or in a text conversation with your friend or watching the top 100 cutest animal videos? Yeah... me too. It is so easy to get distracted and dive into other things.
I searched for a solution and a really smart one I found was the Pomodoro technique! That sounds fancy but what you actually do is set a timer (kitchen, phone, watch, computer, or any other timer) for 25 minutes and spend that time intensely focused on 1 task and then take a 5-minute break. Repeat that for a total of four rounds and then take a longer break like 30-60 minutes. Anything that pops up as a distraction just jot it down on a piece of paper so it's off your mind and you can get back to it later during a break or after the work day. 
Watch the video below for more information!