A majority of us have probably had the pleasure of experiencing an online class at some point in our life. And yes, we all procrastinated during that class; so much so that it became our most stressful class. But it did come with some valuable lessons you can take with you.

To take an online class or not: that is the question. Many assumptions float around, including the ideas that online classes are easy and require minimal work. The idea is that you will have all this newfound freedom and time on your hands you just won't know what to do with. This is most definitely not the case! If anything, online classes are more challenging, since they require the student to essentially teach themselves the information provided. There may be an instructor, but their sole job is to upload all necessary material for the course and answer any potential questions you have. That's it. Although it may not seem too daunting now, work can quickly pile up, as any online student can attest to. In this case, time is either your friend or your worst enemy. In my case, it slowly became this monster creeping in the recess of my mind, constantly reminding me how much work I still had to accomplish in an ever-shrinking timespan. Stress also piled up and soon my days consisted of locking myself in my room for hours at a time in order to complete twenty assignments over a weekend.

But all this taught me that, had I planned out my schedule accordingly, situations like these could easily be avoided. Online classes are not supposed to be this stressful. They are advertised as a great way to earn credits on your own time and schedule; if done properly, they do just that! We as students should be embracing this new era of technology, which allows us to take online classes. The ability to work wherever and whenever is a privilege not many appreciate.

So what can you do to maximize your online experience? PLAN. Sit down and write out every assignment, test, deadline, and everything involved in that online class. This schedule will create a base for you as a student to understand the kind of schedule you are looking at. This visual aid will help you remember what needs to get done and when. Planning helps take the pressure off assignments since you portion them at a manageable pace.

So now you have created a schedule for the semester, now what? Now you actually stick to the schedule you just slaved over. Yes, as simple as this sounds, it is one of the most important steps in succeeding. Even when all your friends make a convincing argument for you to go partying, stay on track. Keeping up-to-date may seem like you're making a large impact on the assignments, but trust me, as the semester chugs forward, you'll see results.

So in the end, are online classes worth it? Absolutely. Not only do they teach you the value of schedules and deadlines, they also help you understand your way of learning and what works best for you. These skills will prove useful not only throughout your academic career, but far into your chosen profession. Schedules and deadlines will follow you wherever life takes you and now is the time to start forming good habits. So go take that online class, but bear in mind, it comes with more commitments and lessons than what's just in the syllabus.