How to Prepare for Online Grad School

[Neep]

I am enrolled into West Virginia University's online M.S.W. program
There are several field placements and obviously many classes.
What supplies will I need for the online academic setting?  Any tips, tricks, or advice? Any experiences would be helpful. This could be a great thread for anyone enrolled in an online program.

[serpentstone]

I know this thread is a bit old but I thought I could impart some advice for anyone who will be soon embarking on an online education journey (which may be quite a few of us, whether we know it yet or not, due to the ever-revolving nature of the pandemic).

I finished my first BA about ten years ago before rushing off to find a career. When I decided I wanted to attend grad school some time later, I realized that my grades from back then were horrid, my research writing was only so-so, and I didn't have a single professor who knew me well enough to write a recommendation. So, while working full-time, I returned to post-bacc classes that were entirely online and earned a second Bachelor's for the sole purpose of cultivating a more competitive grad school package. I can't dispense any graduate-specific online advice but hopefully some of my tips are helpful.

Anyway, here's what I learned doing online university:

1. Claim your space - Make sure you have a dedicated desk that you adamantly refuse to clutter up with anything other than school-related things. And even then, clean it often. It MUST be physically and mentally accessible to complete any work at. File away those papers. Get those cups and plates OUTTA THERE.
2. Use a separate room, if able - I took over the only spare room and made it into my office. Hung some heavy coats on over-the-door hooks which was amazing for muffling outside noise. My partner and I used a "closed door" rule for this room - if the door was closed, do not disturb except for fire or death (the fire one happened once ? WHILE I was on Zoom with my adviser)
3. Wall Calendar and Planner - The wall calendar must be easy to pull down from the wall and alter, but must also be super visible in your work area. Let those due dates loom, baby! Your planner also needs to become your best friend. If you're a purse-user, keep a small one with you in there. "Want to hang out later?" [checks planner] "Sorry, I have a seminar." You can also use the Google Calendar app for alarms and reminders, which I see has gained a bit of popularity if you're more of a phone user. I'm a forgetful person and my calendar overuse saved my butt many times.
4. Treat all classes, meetings, seminars, events, like you were there in person - BE EARLY, phone off, mentally tuned in, headphones on (if desired), rabid note-taking. Online school can NOT be treated as "fake school" if you want to pass. Being early is essential to block time out for yourself and ensure that you are in the correct academic mindset when things begin. You will always be able to spot the person who just rolled out of bed or threw their clothes on a second ago.
5. Hit up your advisers/instructors often - The best way to build rapport through screens is by making your name recognizable. Send short questions, check in, clarify things often, send supplementary material that reminded you of something they lectured on (this one got me major brownie points)
6. Visit the local college/university for the environment if you have one - Not attending the community college near you? No problem - they will dispense free library cards for public service access which allow you to study on campus and in their libraries like a regular student. I desperately needed this at the beginning of my online journey because I needed to feel like I still "belonged" in higher ed.
7. Link up with fellow students asap - As soon as courses opened on Canvas, all-student messages would come out moments later with "I made our group a WhatsApp chat, here's the link" from students needing community and camaraderie. Join these! With your brains combined, together you hold the answers to 99% of your questions and anxieties. They will also be a valuable resource when needing to find better apps, programs, websites, videos, etc. Sharing is caring!

That's the bulk of my general advice, I don't have anything else that doesn't seem mostly geared towards undergrads. But the main thing here is: online school is real school. It will challenge you, build you, break you, and give you intense pride in your work. The people around you might make you feel weird about it just because of their own preconceptions, but the hard work is REAL and so is the degree.