1. Pick something that piques your interest. This might seem like a no-brainer, but believe me, it’s hard (nearly impossible) to effectively self-learn something you don’t want to self-learn. 

2. Make the course work for your schedule. If your online course is self-paced, make sure you have ample time to fit it in.  Even though I wasn’t managing an academic course-load over the summer, I was navigating a pretty demanding schedule. I had to fit in IBM exercises around morning research meetings and on weekends, and I picked a free day to go through NASA’s training sessions. 

3. Be mindful of how you learn best. I know this is a pretty vague tip, but here are a couple of personal examples:

• I work best on a deadline. For my NASA course, I scheduled every session. It was super helpful for me to insert the structure into a completely open course, and hold myself accountable to goals I’d already set.
• I have to take notes. To remember something I learn online, I almost always need to write it down. I also have my notes to look back on later if I ever need them for a project I’m working on!
• I need novelty. I get bored of the same old, same old pretty easily when I’m by myself. So sometimes I stretched my legs, or changed where I worked (a desk, the kitchen table the couch, the floor, etc). Little changes of scenery and breaks from the screen really helped me stay focused (at least enough to take notes)!

Before you start a course, ask yourself a few questions: Do I need written or spoken accountability? Set some goals or deadlines, or tell a friend you’re taking the course! Do I get distracted easily? If yes, maybe remove the source of distraction (turn off your phone, block social media websites, etc). Everyone learns differently, so don’t be afraid to test out a few things before you learn how to create an online-learning environment that suits you!

4. Know your limits, and ask for help. Especially for more advanced topics, you might need to do some preparation for the course and/or some googling during. I’ve definitely done both. 

Some courses, like IBM’s Qiskit Global Summer School, offered a great online student and mentor community! I often leaned on their guidance for particularly challenging content. Even if this type of community isn’t available for your course, google! Read up with reliable news/blog sources, online textbooks, etc. Stack Exchange and Stack Overflow are pretty much the holy grail for answers to coding questions in particular.

5. Have fun! This is an obvious one. It’s okay if you start something and find out you’re not interested in it. Move on until you find something that keeps you mentally engaged, despite being in your PJs!