This summer I took my first ever online class at Johnson & Wales. I am currently a full-time student at the Johnson & Wales University Providence Campus but wanted to continue my education and earn some extra credits over the summer. I was accepted to an internship program based in Jerusalem and chose to take an additional class while I was away. While looking through the online options, I stumbled upon a free elective called “Culture and Food” and figured that there was no better class to take while I was exploring abroad.

When Stephanie Decker ‘16, ‘18 MBA decided to return to school after working for 20 years in the food industry, she knew she needed a flexible option that would allow her to continue to raise her family, work, and remain active in all of the things that were important to her.

One of my roles as the College of Online Education’s Student Writing Support Specialist is to help students understand what academic writing means, and how they can accomplish it.

Academic writing is an essential skill and one that involves clarity and power of expression. Writing specific and detail-oriented text, incorporating relevant sources, and maintaining a clear sense of audience, purpose, and genre are key elements to writing at a higher level.

I know this sounds a bit complicated, so let’s break it down! Here are eight things to keep in mind when writing:

In 1985, I decided that it was finally time to get a college education. I was 21 and had already been in the culinary business for five years. To date, I had experience working in restaurants, hotels, and on a privately-owned yacht. Up until then, I had not done well throughout my secondary school experience in England. I chose to leave school at 16 to work in a job I actually enjoyed, all while getting paid.

At some point over the next 8 to 11 weeks, you’ll have to decide whether to read The Global Public Relations Handbook: Theory, Research, and Practice for your course or 5-Minute Disney Princess Stories to your daughter.

It sounds like an easy choice, but it’s not.

Let’s face it: the holidays are exciting and fun but can sometimes drain you of your desire to do anything work-related. If you’re like me, all of the hustle and bustle makes it difficult for you to maintain your productivity level. Whether you’re taking classes or trying to complete tasks at work — or both! — procrastination can creep in and prevent you from accomplishing all of the things on your plate.

Here are five tips to help you stay on track as the year winds down:

1. Plan ahead.

If you had access to 24/7 research help, you’d take it, right? Students attending colleges on-ground are likely to be in touch with the library resources offered by their institution. But if you’re an online student, you might not realize how many resources your library offers specifically for you or how much time you can save searching for academic, peer-reviewed resources by simply reaching out. In addition, research shows that students who take advantage of their libraries earn higher GPAs.

Pursuing an online undergraduate degree or online graduate degree takes determination, self-discipline, and hard work … and a reliable Wi-Fi connection. The reach is surprising — just ask Julia M. J. Abbiss ‘15, ‘17 MS – Nonprofit Management, who discovered during a study-abroad experience that she could complete her coursework from just about anywhere, even halfway around the world in Nepal.

Did you know that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is launching early this year?

If you’re planning to apply for federal aid for the 2017 – 2018 school year, you can do so beginning October 1, 2016.

Deciding how to pay for your education can be daunting — but it doesn’t have to be! At the JWU College of Online Education, we work with you as soon as you’re accepted.

There are many ways to update skills or learn new skills. If you are unsure how to proceed, ask yourself: What do I need, or want, to learn; how much time am I able to invest; and how much money will I need to spend? If you have multiple needs or interests, determine which are most pressing and which are long-term educational goals. Then, consider how you can effectively meet your needs, in terms of educational requirements, and the time and money you can afford to invest. You might sharpen some of your skills with a little time and/or money.