Be Prepared for Online Classes!
Posted by Pamela Gustafson on January 9th, 2009
My online classes were easy to apply for because I already had a bachelor and masters degrees and usually enroll as a special student. If I enrolled for a specific degree the process involved a lot more.
My best advice for prospective college students is to be prepared. I keep all the information I need to enroll in classes or apply for jobs in a Microsoft Word doc in my computer. Much of the information asked on college enrollment forms and job applications is the same. This list helps me quickly retrieve information I need to fill out the forms. My Word file also includes names and addresses, including ZIP codes of all the Universities I attended. I have been out of high school nearly 37 years and I am still asked for that information!
On the same file, I also keep links to university web sites that help me to order transcripts. My “vitals file” also includes names, addresses and email of people who may be personal and professional references. Finally, it lists employers and their addresses. I recently updated my vitals file to include skills (usually technology related) I have learned.
Occasionally, colleges ask for an essay or a statement of philosophy. I always write these in Microsoft Word and save them. Writing is the most cumbersome part of the process and it helps to catalog similar statements. Cut and paste comes in mighty handy!
My computer helps me to organize application materials. All the documents I referred to previously are stored in a sub folder in My Documents. The folder is appropriately named Application Materials and I keep several versions of my resume in this folder.
The key to efficiently filling out application forms is your ability to quickly access the information requested. When this information is in one easily accessible location, the process becomes SO much easier. Oh yes, one more important note. Don’t forget to load a copy of your vitals file on your thumb drive. You can never be too careful, right? Good luck!
