First, check your command of basic Internet navigation skills. Make certain that you can open and close your Internet browser, that you can navigate between Web pages using your browser's forward and back buttons, and that you're able to maximize and minimize the browser window. If you need help with these basic concepts, both Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox have exhaustive Help files that can answer your questions about navigating the Net.

Next, check that you understand the basics of managing files on your computer. Make sure you know how to find folders and files using Windows Explorer. You'll also need to be confident about creating, copying, deleting and saving files on your PC or Mac. Select "Help" from the Windows Explorer menu bar and then search for information about "files" if you're in doubt about your skills.

If you don't know how to Copy and Paste, learn. It's surprising how many computer users still don't have a basic understanding of the Windows Clipboard. These basic skills include the ability to left click and drag to highlight information in a document, to copy that information to the clipboard, and then to paste that information from the clipboard into a new document or spreadsheet. Search Google, Yahoo or MSN to find a free copy-and-paste tutorial if you need to brush up on this important, timesaving skill.

Fourth, make sure you're familiar with sending and receiving email. Because you're likely to receive course materials and other documentation by email, you'll need to know how to handle email attachments and how to open them or save them on your computer. If you're not familiar with attachments, check the Help file of your email program for instructions on how to handle attachments.

Finally, as an online learner you'll need to know your way around some kind of word processing software. Most new computers come with Microsoft Word already installed and it's generally considered to be the standard in word processing software. If your computer didn't come with Word, it won't cost you a dime to get a very capable alternative. Try OpenOffice, a free, easy-to-use software suite available at openoffice.org that comes with a robust word processor called OpenOffice Writer. It offers all the functionality of Word, including the ability to open and create files in Microsoft Word format.

Even if all of your online learning skills have been carefully honed, don't forget to check your computer system to make sure it can participate in the online learning experience. According to many online universities, a computer equipped with Windows XP or MAC OS 9 (or higher) makes for the best online learning platform. Also, many online universities have found that AOL users can't properly access online courses, so make sure you have a recent free version of Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox on your computer. You'll also want to have a minimum monitor resolution of 800 x 600 and a DSL or cable modem for best performance. Last but not least, say leading online universities, don't forget to enable java script and cookies for the optimal learning experience.