Online courses do not have to be solitary, lonely experiences. Building relationships in the beginning of a course can make the experience much more personable and enjoyable for everyone. Even if you tend to be more reserved and shy in face-to-face classes, you may find a comfortable place to openly voice your opinions online. So how do you create these relationships when you are at different locations from you classmates? Try these tips to take that first step and get to know your online classmates.

• Send an email to your classmates introducing yourself
• Double check your emails for spelling and grammatical mistakes
• Give your communications a personal touch. For example, ask the person how they are before you ask them for help.
• Give students in the class other ways to contact you if you want. (Email, cell phones, IM, etc.) This will broaden you support base for the course
• Be open to new ideas and opinions from fellow students
• Make up for the lack of nonverbal cues. It is hard to express emotions with words alone. Try emoticons or acronyms to help express you thoughts.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions