Online Psychology Degree: Practical Study Tips

As a mature aged student I had experience both with traditional and online university study before staring my online psychology degree. This gave me very useful knowledge about how to approach the online method and get great grades. So if you have not studied as an online student before it would be helpful to make sure you understand something about studying online before you start. There are a number of good books which can provide excellent study ideas and tips which can make things easier. 

Also make sure you know how to access and use resources like the online library databases and online student software. Orientation week is a good time to check out the online resources before you start.

These two study tips will help speed things up for you during your study semester and make sure gaps in your knowledge about this way of studying won't impact your grades unnecessarily.

As an online student you do not always have the luxury of listening to lectures (although some online psychology degrees provide lectures as well as written material). This means that you may need to spend some extra time to make sure you know the key psychological terms used in your degree topics - both their meanings and correct pronunciations. If you do not have a good knowledge of psychological key terms you will be less likely to understand exam and assignment questions fully or be able to provide the professional information that is required.

Online psychology degree students are usually provided with a total course outline well before the start of the university semester. (If not you can usually ask the lecturer in change of each topic for a reading list.) It's essential to start your reading before the semester starts and to stay ahead if you want the best grades possible. This avoids any issues with the unexpected during the semester and allows you to focus on exam study rather than reading during those important weeks before the exams.

Online psychology degree assignments (if part of an accredited course) are no easier than the assignments for traditional courses. In fact as many degrees have both an on-campus and off-campus (online) option they are often exactly the same assignments for both groups of students. Psychology is a highly competitive area of study making it essential that you fully understand exactly what the assignment is asking you to do (students not reading the question properly is a common cause of underachievement). Underlining all the keywords in the assignment question is usually very useful and if in doubt ask your tutor or lecturer for more information. To give yourself time to do this it's also important not to leave things to the last moment.

The better the grade the earlier you normally need to start preparing for the exam. As mentioned earlier psychology is competitive and in accredited online psychology degree courses online-students compete directly with on-campus students for ranking.

Psychology exams test more than memorization of facts. For top marks you also usually need to be able to think in concepts and use the information in a practical way. This sort of understanding takes more time than simple memorization. So when you start the semester keep the exam in mind. Highlight important elements in the textbooks or make notes during your initial reading to save time and make exam study more efficient.