With the recent East Coast earthquake and Hurricane Irene, online students should be reminded to always ask themselves if they are really prepared if their internet or power ever went out.

 

Here are some things online students should always think about and or do to always be prepared before and after any disaster or emergency:

Power Issues– Are you prepared if you ever lose power?

  • Having a generator is ideal but not everyone can always have easy access to one. Also, generators can be quite expensive. Always be careful about not running gas powered generators indoors due to carbon monoxide poisoning. It might be a good idea to have gas storage for this in a safe place because most gas stations do not operate when the power is out.
  • It might be a good idea to use your car for power. This can be done by using a power inverter which costs anywhere from $10-$15. Walmart has some basic ones: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=9729856&findingMethod=rr But, you will want to be careful about not abusing your cars battery. Keeping your car still for long periods of time while using the battery is not a good idea.

Internet Issues– Most likely when your power goes out so will your internet.

  • Having an air card for your computer is ideal but can be quite expensive. Ideally, you would want to use it for your laptop if the power went out. You can use your car and power inverter as mentioned above this way.
  • You may want to drive around your neighborhood and see if any coffee shops, libraries, or other places with free access to the internet has power and is open. Obviously, it is good to have family and friends in the region that may have power or internet for you to use to get by.
  • Remember the days of dial up internet? This may be slow, but may be a temporary option during a disaster if you still have a land line based phone. AOL and NetZero are a few dial up services.
  • Another good idea is to tether from your cell phone to your computer. Here is one example of how you can do this: http://www.ehow.com/how_4480859_tether-cell-phone-internet-laptop.html
  • Depending on your cell phone, some are getting good enough where you can do most of your online class work on it. The iPhone is ideal for this. Again, securing a power source would be ideal for this option.

Other Advice:

  • If you know a storm or disaster is coming, it would be a good idea to either save or print out all of your assignments that are due in the next week or so to stay updated. Just think to yourself, “what if I can’t get online or have power for the next few days and what information will I need?” It may also be good to print off the syllabus and other course information from day one.
  • Make sure you always have the contact information (phone and E-mail) of your instructor and a few students in the class so you can keep them updated on your situation.
  • It is also a good idea to save all important course information on a flash drive and or as a file attached to your E-mail for extra safety. Offsite storage sites like Carbonite or Mozy may be good options as well.
  • A general good word of advice would to always try to be ahead in all of your online courses and never procrastinate. This will always give you an advantage in all classes in case of any emergencies or disasters.
  • And finally, it is always a good idea to check any online college administrative and or class policies regarding situations where you can’t get online due to a disaster or emergency. The key here is being proactive and never reactive!

Was this information helpful? Do you feel better prepared now if there was ever a disaster or emergency and you are/were taking online classes? Can you think of any other suggestions to be even more/better prepared?

Please check back next week for another exciting and innovative blog post!