I’ve always preferred Secret Santa gifts to the grab bag surprise. What good is it to pull out those smelly candles when all they do is make me sneeze?

When it comes to online student tips, though, the only way for us to offer personalized advice is to write to each one of you and answer your specific questions directly. (Which we’re more than happy to do – just post a comment and we’ll get in touch!)

In the meantime, check out our grab bag of online student tips. They might not have your name on them, but we’re pretty sure you’ll like them just the same.

1. Check your tech.
Working on a temperamental computer or relying on the computer/printer at the library won’t cut it when you’re taking an online class. Online students need the freedom to log in at any time and not waste time waiting in line for a workstation or dealing with an iffy Internet connection. In addition, you need to make sure your computer meets the technical requirements for your online course.

2. Go deep.
Discussion boards are the primary means of communication in an online course, so your responses need to be well thought-out and substantive. Simply writing “I agree” or “Good post” adds nothing to the discussion and clogs up the board. You don’t want to be known as The Clogger.

3. Show some respect.
You might be able to get away with an offhand comment in class, especially if your nonverbal cues reveal good intentions. But once you type words on the screen for everyone to read, it’s tough to take them back. Reread your comments before you send them into cyberspace. Remember that the people you’re writing to are real, not virtual.

4. Don’t slack.
One of the worst mistakes you can make in an online course is missing deadlines and letting the work pile up. You could slide under the radar in the short-term, but by the end of the semester you’ll be kicking yourself for your procrastination. Discipline and self-motivation are key to success in school – especially online.

5. Make friends.
You can be all business on the discussion boards, or you can try to make connections. Build on your peers’ thoughts and ideas and offer academic and moral support whenever you can. Feeling connected in the online community will help you stay motivated in your coursework and remind you that you’re not alone in your higher education pursuit.

6. Stand up.
In an online course, your prof won’t be able to read your body language to see that you’re frustrated, confused, or bored. If you’re having trouble in class, for whatever reason, it’s important to communicate the issue right away – otherwise it will snowball and become much more difficult to fix later on.

7. Chill out.
If you’re new to online education, you’ll need some time to adjust to the format and delivery. Don’t expect it to feel comfortable right away. Reevaluate your feelings after you’ve been immersed in the course for a few weeks, and you might be surprised how well you’ve acclimated to the new way to do school. You may never even want to go back to the old!

-Robyn Tellefsen

Not even the Grinch, Scrooge, or some other miserly holiday character can put a damper on the excitement for online learning. The number of people expected to earn degrees online by 2014 is a staggering 3.97 million, up from 2.14 million in 2009, according to research by Eduventures.

Most universities are already investing heavily in online learning, the Associated Press reported in November. But one of the challenges that online learners – and schools – still face is the commitment of faculty. The huge demand for online learning and number of students expected to choose an online course over the traditional classroom setup means professors need to grow more comfortable with less face-to-face contact and teaching virtually.

Students often research the benefits of online learning, such as flexibility in schedules and type of program offered in a particular subject or degree area. But at the same time, it’s worthwhile to try to get a sense of how much experience the professor has had teaching online.

By now, some professors have multiple years of online teaching experience and have figured out tricks for communicating the subject matter in a way that could be even better than in the traditional classroom. On the other hand, the demand for online learning also means more full-time faculty, part-time instructors, and adjunct professors are likely to become online professors for the first time.

Remember that in some cases, your professors face a learning curve, just as you do as a first-time online student. But all of that is about to change.

-Lori Johnston

If you are wondering whether students can truly interact in a virtual classroom, consider the results of a recent University of Michigan study, in which social networking teamed up with physical fitness.

Led by Caroline Richardson, M.D., an associate professor of family medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, the study involved the addition of an interactive component to an online walking program. Though the walking program obviously encouraged people to be active and get away from their computers, the interactive community engaged participants into logging on to motivate each other during the 16-week program.

The results are impressive: 79 percent of walkers who participated in the online community completed the program. For those who did not take advantage of the virtual community, only 66 percent completed the program. Yet even that is a promising conclusion, because it shows that people can and will be successful in an online environment. Translate these results to the world of online education, and there’s strong evidence against naysayers who believe online schools are the fast track to apathy in the classroom.

In a press release issued by the University of Michigan, Dr. Richardson said, “Brick by brick, we have been building a model of how to change health behaviors using online tools. We can see that social components can help to mitigate the big downside that Internet-mediated programs have had in the past, namely attrition.”

While it may seem unlikely that sitting in front of one’s computer can encourage one to be more active, that’s exactly what happened in the Michigan study. The power of social media is at work, and whether the topic involves getting fit physically or mentally, it seems like people are ready and very willing to interact.

–Barbara Bellesi

Move over Bejeweled and Mafia Wars… a new Facebook app has arrived that brings the MBA classroom to budding business superstars. As reported in The New York Times, The London School of Business and Finance Global MBA has attracted 34,000+ students since its inception a month ago.

Aaron Etingen, founder and chief executive of the London School of Business and Finance, said he expected 500,000 prospective students to take the free “MBA test drive” within a year. Students who like what they see will be able to watch video lectures, participate in online peer-to-peer study sessions and track their progress through interactive tests — all without charge.

“There is only a fee if they want to take exams,” said Valery Kisilevsky, the school’s managing director.

In other words, you can’t actually earn your MBA on Facebook, but it might be worth some “poking” around to see if such a course of study is right for you. Check out the app and let us know what you think! The discussion tab has some really interesting student discourse on topics like “management models” and “corporate strategy,” and if you add the app, you’ll have access to video lectures and more.

For what it’s worth, I think it’s a good of example of how social media can aid students in their education research. And don’t be surprised if other schools/programs — especially online ones that don’t have a “campus tour” to offer per se — start offering educational content for free to give students a sneak peek of their offerings.

Do you know of any other schools using Facebook in an innovative way? Chime in below…

-Dawn Papandrea