Even though I planned to live on-campus, one of the things I would look for when researching colleges was a robust virtual/hybrid program that would allow me to take a mix of online and in-person classes each semester. Each semester, I would take around 50% online classes as an on-campus student, which provided with the flexible schedule I needed for balancing extracurricular activities and proactively managing fluctuating/unpredictable medical conditions. Here are my favorite tips for taking online classes in college as an on-campus student, based on my undergraduate experiences studying data science and assistive technology.
Choosing online classes vs in-person classes
When planning which classes to take for the semester, there are a few factors that go into choosing whether to take a class online or in-person. Of course, this decision is easier for some classes than others, as a few of the classes for my degree program were only offered in-person or only offered online, but for classes with both options, I often ask the following questions to help solidify my decision:
- What day(s) and time(s) does the in-person class meet? Is it a longer lecture class once a week, or shorter classes twice a week?
- Will the in-person class only be offered at night? I find it more challenging to look at items on the board late at night, and the disability transportation service wasn’t offered for late-night classes.
- Is the online professor the same as the in-person professor, or is the professor located on campus? Having adjunct/off-campus professors isn’t a bad thing as this can provide valuable networking opportunities (especially for professors who are active in their fields), but this can make it more difficult to schedule office hours or get help with assignments via email if they are in a different time zone
- Would all of the class assignments and activities be completed on a computer whether it was in-person or online? Since my major is very technology-focused, a lot of my in-person classes met in computer labs.
- Can I see the board in this classroom/building? With low vision, there are some classrooms that are more challenging for me to access than others.
- How does the professor share materials for class? Is everything posted on the class website for students to browse at their own pace, or does the professor use a different website or tool for course management?
When I do choose online classes, I try to select sections that are taught by a professor who also teaches on-campus so I can easily reach them for office hours or take advantage of on-campus resources. If the class has a strong emphasis on discussions, group activities, or regularly provides copies of materials like presentations or readings online for all students, I am more likely to take the class in-person.
Related links
- Ten Questions To Ask When Choosing A Virtual Class
- Recording Video Lectures For Visually Impaired Students
- How I Use Blackboard With Low Vision
- How I Use Canvas With Low Vision
- How I Use Moodle With Low Vision
Scheduling online classes and in-person classes
With rare exceptions, all of the online classes I’ve taken in college have been asynchronous or had 1-2 required meetings throughout the semester. In order to track open seats, I use the Coursicle class scheduling app to sign up or track waitlists for in-person and virtual classes, which can be helpful when making schedule changes after the semester begins. I try to schedule in-person classes during times that I typically have lower fatigue levels or choose classes in neighboring buildings to avoid walking, and prioritize scheduling in-person over online classes when first setting up my schedule.
Each semester varies, but my hybrid schedule typically would involve 2-3 days of attending in-person classes and lectures, or 4 days of in-person classes where I might only have one in-person class on a given day. I never scheduled in-person classes on Fridays so that I could reserve this time for meetings, appointments, or if I had to travel somewhere.
Related links
- How I Use The Coursicle Class Scheduling App
- College Scheduling Hacks For Students With Chronic Illness
Block out time for working on online classes
I prefer to work on assignments at my personal desktop computer, so I would block out time every day that I could use for working on online classes, planning out my week, or getting ahead in classes if possible. I would reserve Sunday nights or Monday mornings for viewing new material that had been posted for the week and make a list of assignments that were due in each class so I could decide what order to complete them in. This doesn’t mean that I worked on my online assignments every day or only during these blocks, but the time was there if I needed it.
If all of my assignments had the same due date for a given week, I would typically finish all of the assignments for one class before moving onto the next one. For example, during a Monday afternoon session I might finish all of my work for a lab class if I don’t need to ask for help or am familiar with the content. Alternatively, I’ll schedule time for office hours or a tutoring session for one class, and try to work on assignments from other classes in the meantime.
Related links
- How I Set Up My College Desk
- Questions To Ask When Choosing A Desktop Computer For College
- Tips To Stay Organized In Virtual Classes
- How I Organize Digital Files For My Classes
- Ten Tech Skills Every College Student Needs For Virtual Classes
Set reminders for discussion posts
Discussion posts can be easy to forget about, but they are typically weighed more heavily in online/asynchronous classes since they serve as participation points. Setting reminders for when to post initial responses, as well as how many follow-up responses are required, can help a lot with time management and reduce the risk of remembering a discussion board deadline minutes before or after it’s due, or having to write discussion board responses while attending another class or while away from the computer.
Related links
- Low Vision Assistive Technology For Discussion Board Posts
- How I Take Notes During Video Lectures With Low Vision
Download textbooks in digital formats
The majority of online classes offer options for eTextbooks and accessing textbooks in digital formats, which is incredibly helpful when completing required readings or taking notes on material. Since I can’t read standard print due to low vision, textbook access and the availability of online textbooks or materials would play a significant role in how I navigated course content, especially since I often used the same textbook for multiple classes or had overlapping optional readings. In some cases, I found it easier to track down an online/digital copy of a textbook offered for an online class compared to the in-person class that used a different edition of the same book.
For hybrid classes that offer in-person lectures and online assignments or labs, I would use my laptop or iPad during class to read textbook content or bookmark areas of interest, which would automatically synchronize across multiple devices. If a textbook was not available in a digital format, I would file a request with the accessible media specialist/assistive technology specialist at my college or add a request to Bookshare, a free library for people with print disabilities.
Related links
- Reading Chegg eTextbooks With Low Vision
- Amazon Kindle App and Low Vision Accessibility
- What To Know About College Assistive Technology Specialists
- Reading Chegg eTextbooks With Low Vision
Learn productivity features for apps/devices
One of the best pieces of advice I can give for taking online classes in college as an on-campus student is to learn productivity features for using applications and devices, as these can save so much time and eye strain when using computers for long periods of time. This can include:
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Customizing icons, toolbars, and folders for easy access
- Turning on display filters/color filters
- Simplified reading displays for browsing content
- Digital bookmarking tools for organizing links
- Adding custom shortcuts to device home screens and taskbars
- Converting file formats and sideloading content into other applications
Learning productivity features for my favorite apps and devices as well as becoming proficient in using software like Microsoft Office and Google Workspace has made a tremendous difference when it comes to being successful in online classes, especially because these tools are used so frequently.
Related links
- How To Create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows
- How To Customize Icons For Windows
- Helpful Ways To Bookmark Websites For Low Vision Users
- Free Digital Bookmarking Tools For Low Vision
- Using Anthology Ally With Low Vision
- Ten Ways To Reduce Eye Strain From Screens With Technology
Use in-person resources for online classes
If the professor teaching the online class is also on campus, attending office hours or study sessions is a great way to get help with classes or network with other students who are taking the class in-person. Other options for using on-campus resources for online classes can include:
- Accessing the campus library or computer labs for specialty materials
- Going to the writing center or other tutoring services
- Organizing a study group that meets on campus
- Attending department events
- Taking the same online class with an on-campus friend
- Researching department resources for tutoring or meeting with teaching assistants
In another example, I used the on-campus testing center for taking proctored online exams when required by professors, since the exams were typically scheduled for a specific time and required students to be in a specific area on campus.
Related links
- Awesome On-Campus College Library Resources
- The Best Study Tips For Visually Impaired Students
- Choosing A Tutor For Low Vision Students
- Remote Testing Accommodations For Low Vision
- What To Bring To The Disability Services Testing Center
Provide copies of disability accommodations
Even though I can generally access digital copies of materials in my online classes, disability accommodations like extended time, captions/transcripts for videos, and accessible file materials require students to submit a copy of their disability accommodations letter to professors, whether they are in-person or online classes. My disability accommodations are written with in-person classes in mind, but I still submit the accommodations letter anyways in case I need it for exams or something else later on. I also typically add additional information in an email about how my disability accommodations are relevant for a particular class, such as if videos need to be screened for flashing lights or if assignments need to be shared as Word documents so I can enlarge the font size.
One question that frequently comes up is whether a student’s disability diagnosis is listed on their accommodations sheet, and the answer is no. In some cases, the professor may be able to infer what type of disability someone has (e.g. someone requesting braille probably has a visual impairment), but the specific diagnosis itself is not listed and professors cannot ask students what type of disability they have.
Related links
- How To Create A Disability Services File
- Common Classroom Accommodations For Low Vision
- Seven Unexpected Disability Accommodations For Virtual Learning
- How To Get Disability Accommodations In Community College
- How To Explain Disability Accommodations To Professors
- How I Talk To Professors About Photosensitivity
Plan in-person activities and events
One of the benefits of taking online classes while living on-campus is that I have a greater degree of control over my learning environment; I can adjust the lighting, grab a snack, take vision breaks or rest breaks, and engage in learning anytime (and anywhere) that I choose. With this flexibility, I can more easily control my fatigue levels and manage energy levels, which makes it easier for me to plan for and participate in in-person activities and events. Instead of hiding in my room and constantly working on schoolwork, I would make plans to go eat in the dining hall with friends, participate in in-person extracurriculars like pep band, or search for opportunities to get away from my computer and enjoy the benefits of being on-campus like attending performing arts events or inviting friends and family to come visit. Because of this, I rarely felt isolated from not participating in in-person classes, and could make time for activities that are valuable to me.
Related links
- Navigating The Dining Hall: College O&M
- Requesting Extracurricular Accommodations
- Swing Dancing And Low Vision
- How I Play In GMU Green Machine/Pep Band With Low Vision
More tips for taking online classes as an on-campus student
- Another valuable tip for taking online classes is to stay on top of email! Learn more in How I Organize Emails In College With Low Vision
- Taking virtual/hybrid classes is a key part of how I managed chronic migraines while living on-campus. Learn more in Managing Chronic Migraines in College and Disability and Classroom Accommodations For Chiari Malformation
- When I was recovering from a hospital stay, I attended some of my in-person classes remotely in a few different ways, which I share in How I Attend College Classes Remotely With Chronic Illness
- Looking for more tips for taking online classes? Browse Virtual Education Archives | Veronica With Four Eyes (veroniiiica.com)
Published April 25, 2017. Updated September 2024