Continuing Education Study Guide

Welcome to the Continuing Ed Express Study Guide for Continuing Education!

Are you thinking of taking our online CE courses, and aren’t sure if our online learning method will work for you?  

We understand - and are here to help! 

This Guide will provide you with encouragement, and also real resources to help you get the most out of your education. Whether you are comfortable with technology or are new to online learning or computers in general  - we’re here to assist you!
 

Introduction

Some common student concerns

“I’m not sure I can do this online learning thing…”
Students occasionally call us to say this, and usually after a casual phone chat with us, realize, that yes, they can! They simply needed a bit more information. We hope you can think of this Study Guide as similar to a phone chat (though we’re always available for that, too!). Read on for how to better manage your real estate education.


“I’m worried I can’t be accountable to do the work without an instructor in the room.” 
Advice for this is ahead!


“I don’t know how to fit this education into my life.” 
Read on for tips from actual customers of ours. The beauty of our program is that most everyone who takes our courses, finds that they are highly convenient.


“I’m not a “techie,” and am embarrassed and frustrated with computers and technology in general!”
You are not alone! We hear this from customers. This Guide will provide you with resources to help you build some confidence in this area, and you will realize it is not as difficult as you think. 


“Your format doesn’t use videos of an instructor, which is what I’m used to. I don’t know how to study this way.”
We hear you, and wrote this Study Guide in large part to address this concern! Thousands of people, from all walks of life, have completed our courses. This may be a new format to you, and this guide will assist you with this form of learning.


“What if I start a course, and realize it’s not for me?”
We offer a 60-day, no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee. As long as you don’t complete the course final exam, you can receive a refund anytime within 60 days of your purchase. Learn more about our Refund Policy


We recommend that initially you review this entire Study Guide at first. Then come back to review this handy guide as often as you wish! 


Online Learning Support


Contact us during the course!
If you get stuck on any of the material in the course, you may contact your instructor. To do so, click on the purple envelope icon at the top of any page in the course. If you have a technical question, you can send a message to our Customer Service from the same purple envelope icon in every course. You can also easily Contact Us by email or calling us.


Our website
The How it Works tab on our website contains the pages How to Get Started and FAQ’s. You will want to familiarize yourself with the information found on these pages, as they will guide you through how our system works. This will help you be prepared and confident as you begin working through the material. If you have a question about how our system works, the answer can most likely be found on one of these helpful pages from our website.

When you log into your Continuing Ed Express account, there will be a link on the left side navigation titled “Learn more about your account.” Click on that link for more information about your online account features and how it works.


Demo Course
We have a free demonstration course you can try! Taking the Demo Course will give you a good idea of how our online courses function.  


Computer learning assistance
No matter your level of computer proficiency, Northstar Digital Literacy, a program of the non-profit organization Literacy Minnesota, can help you advance your skills. They offer free assessments and training. 


Tips for Taking Our Online Courses

As previously mentioned, we asked some Continuing Ed Express grads some detailed questions about how they figured out how to learn online, on their own - often with busy lives. Their responses, along with some things we’ve learned along the way, have shaped the following study tips. 

 

Preparation is Your Best Friend

You will save yourself a lot of frustration, and set yourself up for success so much more, by taking some time to prepare a few things before you begin your Continuing Ed Express online education. If you’ve already begun, that’s great - these tips will help you at any point in the learning process!

Plan to focus
In a hurry to get going? We love your enthusiasm! We invite you, however, to take a bit of time to consider a few things before you get going, or wherever you are in this process. 

Take Note
Sometimes students become frustrated with some part of their learning process, only to discover that the answers to a quiz or exam were there all along - they simply missed them due to their hurry!


Only you can make your learning a priority.
Brainstorm some ideas about when and where you intend to work on your courses. Keep in mind that you might need to modify this as you go along. 

 

Your Education Workspace 

The great thing about our program is that you can work on any device - anywhere that has an Internet connection! Reading the course material is a quiet activity, so you can work privately, and also not disturb others who may be nearby. 

Students often “steal” moments when they are able. You can: 

  • Work on a tablet while enjoying the background sound of birds in the park. 
  • Take your laptop to that quiet corner of the library. 
  • Wake before everyone else, sitting down to your desktop computer 
  • Review some material on your phone while experiencing a very long wait. 

Many students focus best when they have a routine. It triggers their brain to get right back into “study mode.” Other people need variety, otherwise their passion wanes. For others, it’s a mix of both. 

You might need to experiment with your study days/times, to see what works best for you. People who set aside regular time to concentrate, without distractions, are better able to work effectively and quickly. 


Take Note
If you are having a rough day, and find your focus waning, consider resuming your continuing education course at a later time. The best part about online courses, is that you get to choose when and where you take your courses! If you decide to take a break from a course, your online account will save where you left off so you can easily return anytime.

 

Minimize distractions

Social media and email can definitely be distractions for many of us! Checking on these constantly can drastically slow your progress and derail your brain’s ability to concentrate and remember information. It takes many minutes for our brains to be able to focus deeply again, after we have had our attention elsewhere. As you study, it might be useful to put your phone across the room for an hour at a time, and/or not have any other tabs open on your computer, except for Continuing Ed Express. Set alarms and tell yourself you can check social media and/or email on your breaks. 
 

Take Note
Our brains like the feeling of accomplishing tasks. Allowing yourself plenty of focused time to get into a “flow” state – without interruption - will make all the difference in your ability to learn!

 

 

Accountability help

You might find it extremely helpful to have at least one person in your life who can help you stay on track with your studies. You can achieve this in many ways. It might be that simply by sharing what you are doing with others, they will occasionally inquire, “How’s it going?” This alone might prompt you to sit down to study the next chapter, or complete another CE course.  You could also set up a more formal plan with someone who agrees to check in with you on a regular basis. 

Some people work very well with tight deadlines; for others, this just creates anxiety, which slows progress. You know what works best for you. 

 

Take breaks!

Taking breaks will be crucial for your mental and physical health. In addition, your brain will retain and integrate more information if you take regular breaks. The great part about taking a self-paced online course, is that you get to take the courses when the time is right for you!


Take Note: A word about learning disabilities
Whether you have been diagnosed with a learning issue, or suspect you might have unique challenges, you might find you could use some additional assistance beyond the scope of this Study Guide. 
 


Ready to get started?

If you have not already purchased your continuing education courses, click on the below button to see the states we offer CE courses. 

Enroll Now
 

If you have purchased your CE courses, click the Sign In button below to get started!

Sign In
 


Bright Idea
We want this Study Guide to be ever-evolving and ever-improving, so if you have any suggestions for how we can make it better, please feel free to drop us a note! We’d love to hear about what worked for you, how you balanced your education, professional life, and personal life.

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