Top 6 Tips for Success in an Online Math Class

This is a guest blog post from our partner Straighterline and their blog. It is written by Math Professor Dan Gryboski. Straighterline is a great resource for students who need more credits to transfer in to CSU Global.

Has it been years since you’ve taken a math course? Have you been anxious about going back to school because of required college math? You’re not alone. One of the most common concerns adult learners have about going back to college is completing their required college math classes. Fortunately, we have some help for you so you can confidently get your math requirements out of the way.

StraighterLine Math Professor, Dan Gryboski, has been through it all when it comes to helping students finding success while taking an online math class. He teaches several professor-led online math course options, including College Algebra and Business Statistics, and shared with us his best advice for students who want to succeed in online math, and aren’t sure where to start.

Here are the top 6 tips for success in an online math course:

1 – Prepare your nerves.

If you have had a rough time with math in the past, consider this: That was then, before you tackled some other very big life decisions and endeavors. Compared to these huge events, a word problem from a book is child’s play. You are better prepared than ever before to take on this math class.

2 – Ease into it.

If it’s been a while since you have even looked at a math book, start with the low-hanging fruit first. Most math courses have a review chapter (or at least an easy introductory chapter).  Going through the examples in these chapters will remind you of some of the language that is particular to mathematics, and it will build your confidence for the rest of the course.

3 – Use your academic resources.

If you choose a math class with an instructor, don’t hesitate to contact that instructor with questions. Never feel like your question is too basic to warrant an email. Ask the complicated questions too. Just don’t wait until you feel overwhelmed before you get the help you need.

• Math textbooks are an excellent resource. Often you’ll find that the homework problems are very similar to the examples provided in each section. 

• Be sure to access online tutoring the moment you feel like you need some extra guidance.

• Review tricky concepts with online math video tutorials.

 4 – Review everything you learned.

After you’ve done the work to learn the material, it’s important to review it all to make sure you haven’t forgotten some of the finer points. In the online math classes I teach, I tell my students to go through the test reviews that I provide.

5 – Make your math course part of your routine.

Establish a goal for how much time you want to spend on the course. Then mark which days you will work towards that goal. The length of time you spend each week is not as important as the routine you set. For example, a goal of 2 hours on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays will be more productive than hoping to fit in 10 hours “sometime each week.” You can always exceed your goal if you are on a roll some days!

6 – You are not alone.

In an online class, it may be easy to forget that there are other students working on the same content that you are working on. Reach out to them for help, and remember, you are not alone.

CSU Global accepts up to 90 transfer credits into its online bachelor’s degree programs including up to 60 from non-traditional sources like StraighterLine. Thanks to a specific course-to-course articulation agreement between CSU Global and StraighterLine, students starting with StraighterLine know in advance how their general elective credits will fit into CSU Global degree pathways. Further, students who successfully complete four or more StraighterLine courses are eligible for a scholarship of a 10% tuition discount on future CSU Global courses.