As an adjunct professor of Internet Marketing for the University of San Franscisco, I get to see about 35 students a month in my courses and read their feedback of their online degree experience. Many have positive experiences, and some have either neutral or negative experiences. Looking over the negative feedback, I’ve put together a short list of things that might help you get more out of your online degree experience.

1. Reach out and communicate often. An online degree program is NOT like a brick and mortar program. The professors can’t tell when you’re not getting something if you don’t actively raise your hand by emailing or messaging them to say that something’s unclear. Nearly all online degree programs have faculty participation and communications outlets, from direct email to chat rooms to live classes. Make sure you’re taking advantage of them – unlike brick and mortar classrooms, professors can’t see you looking confused or dazed.

2. Actively participate and use the knowledge. Like any form of online content, if you sit passively and just expect the knowledge fairy to impart expertise in your mind, you will be severely disappointed by the online degree experience. Taking an online course or an online degree requires far more intellectual effort than watching a sitcom. If, for example, you are taking one of my marketing courses, look each week to see if you can apply the lessons from that week to the marketing challenges you face. If you’re unemployed or looking to make a career change and don’t have the opportunity to try out course material in your current business, find a local non-profit and volunteer with them, see if you can use the course material to improve their cause.

3. Invest in the support materials. In the courses I teach, I provide recommended reading lists that supplement the course. These are not just fanciful wish lists or random ideas – for my courses, I own and have read and re-read many times the books I recommend. In many cases, these source books and materials will greatly broaden your knowledge of the subject. Too many students simply do the bare minimum required to get their online certificate or online degree. If you want to get the most out of your investment in your online education, make use of the recommended reading lists.

4. Set your expectations appropriately. This applies to all forms of education, but to online education especially. Taking an online course and getting a degree is like getting a driver’s license. It certifies that you know the bare minimum in order to operate effectively and safely. Having a driver’s license does not automatically move you to exciting destinations or guarantee safety on the road, and having a degree does not automatically move you into an exciting job or advance your career. It’s a license to do so, and the credential is important as a testament to the knowledge you’ve acquired, but just as having a driver’s license can mean you still never leave your house, having a degree can mean you still never go anywhere in life. Look at your degree or certificate as a license, and then figure out where you want to go, get behind the wheel, and drive away.

5. Participate in your community. Some online students mistakenly believe that they’re going it alone, that they’re participating all by themselves in an online program. Many of the best online programs, however, have student communities in which you can study with and discuss course content with others in your cohort. Make use of these communities! You’ll not only get more out of the course materials, but you can potentially gain powerful networking connections as well.

An online course can be a powerful and useful experience if you want it to be, but you have to be willing to invest in yourself beyond just the basics if you truly want the most from your experience!

Christopher Penn is an adjunct professor of Internet Marketing and Advanced Social Media at the University of San Francisco Online.