What to Expect on Your First Day of Online Classes
You’ve researched, enrolled, and been accepted in the online program of your choice.  You’re ready to jump back into education and can’t wait to learn.  But as the first day of school approaches, you begin having those same apprehensions that many students have before the first day.  Can you handle the stress?  Will you make friends?  Will you understand the professor?  These are all legitimate concerns, whether you’re studying at a campus or online.  But with the latter, your unfamiliarity with the technology and format might make you even more jittery.  What do you do?

Go in Prepared with Phone Numbers, Emails, and Fax Info
Before your first day of classes, make sure you have all the relevant contact information for your professors, admin representatives, financial aid offices, tech support, and your Internet service provider.  You should save these data both online and off (i.e. on a piece of paper).  The first day of school can be glitchy.  You want to make sure you can reach the appropriate people (by phone, email, and fax) in case something goes wrong.

Dress for Success When You Study Online
On your first day of school, make sure you get in the proper frame of mind.  A solid breakfast, shower, and shave are all good starts.  But you should also wear something that is presentable and professional.  Few, if any, people will actually see you that first day, but dressing up can help you get into the “swing of things.”

Chill Out
Don’t stress out too much.  Easier said than done, obviously, but at the end of the day, online school allows you to be whoever you want to be.  Anonymity, privacy, and flexibility are cornerstones of online education.  Have fun, make friends, and do whatever you need to do to digest the information.