Hi Marie, You know I thought to myself, "hey I wonder if she may be taking an online class" as I wrote out my suggestions, and then neglected to ask if you were. Sorry!

Since your professor does provide ppt slides, go off those as you read the book, and make your notes based off of the points he focuses on in his slides. These are usually the points that he will focus on for the exams. I know it may be frustrating skipping around the chapter since he may be using a different version of the text, but doing it this way will save you a lot of time! This way you don't have to drive yourself crazy trying to decipher what is important, b/c everything seems so important. Trust me, I had that exact same issue too!

Watch the video lectures a few times if you have to & really concentrate on the topics in his ppt slides and video lectures rather than the supplemental videos. Just look for the key terms and concepts and how they relate to one another. I would take notes from your text book based on the topics in your prof's ppt slides, rather than just your reading of the textbook. But def rely on the ppt slides to guide you in what to take notes on, not as a substitute for writing notes. By writing them out yourself it will help you retain the information.

Does your textbook have an online lab that came with the book? If you have a used book you can usually buy a key code online from the publisher for your specific class/textbook. I've used Pearson's in the past and they provide online practice quizzes and flash cards that really prepare you for the exams.

If you are still having difficulty after doing this, email your professor for suggestions. Since it's an online class, there are likely to be other students who are struggling as well and he may have some suggestions based on how people have done in his other classes. Maybe he can provide the class with a study guide for the exam if you ask.

Good luck! Hope this helps!