Here are five things that are important to do on the first day of the course. This list was written specifically with English Composition II in mind, but with slight modifications, they can apply to any online course.
1) Read the information in the "First Day -- Everything That Is Important" folder (under the "Lessons" tab).
This addresses a lot of questions you may have about how the course is conducted and how assignments are graded. Some of the information is also in the syllabus. But some of it isn't, so it's important to read both to get a solid idea of what you will be studying.
There's also a "Welcome from the Instructor" in which you can learn a little more about the person assisting you on your journey, which is something I always enjoy reading.
2) Read the syllabus.
The syllabus contains important information for the quarter. Generally, the syllabus provides you with an outline of the quarter, including the professor's contact information, schedule of assignments, and grading scale.
3) Read the calendar.
The calendar lists assignment due dates. Online courses generally have similar deadlines for each week. For instance, in English Composition II, discussion posts need to be completed by Thursday. The rest of the work in the module needs to be completed by Sunday.
4) Read the "Week 01: Getting Started" folder.
The first week of class is generally simple; it allows you to familiarize yourself with the online format.
However, there are a couple of assignments to complete. Relax, they're easy: introduce yourself to the class; introduce yourself to the professor; read the online lessons regarding the academic style of writing; and take a quiz based on these lessons. (Don't be intimidated by the first quiz. All of the answers are contained within the online lessons.)
My suggestion would be to copy and paste the lessons in the Week 01 folder into a document on your computer. You can also print the pages out and save them. The reason for this is that, in the first few days of class, ANGEL (Sinclair's web server) tends to crash quite a bit. If you have the information saved offline, you won't need to panic when you can't access it online. (It's also smart to do this with the list of activities you need to complete.)
5) Post an introduction.
This is your first assignment! Write a paragraph introducing yourself to your group. Include any information your professor asks you to include. The introduction doesn't need to be long and eloquent, though; most people post only a few sentences.
One thing to be aware of, though, is spelling and grammar. Consider this your first impression; make the most of it! Try writing your introduction into a word processing program (I use Microsoft Works Word Processor) and using the "Spelling and Grammar Check" (under the "Tools" tab, or just press the F7 button on your computer). Once everything is written and checked, copy and paste it into the discussion.
ANGEL also has a spell-checking function. In the discussion post editor, there will be a little icon with the letters "ABC" and a check mark. It's the third from the right. (Click on the picture to see a larger version.)
Once you post on the forum, you can't edit it, so make sure everything is in order before submitting!
You can complete the other assignments throughout the week. If you can complete these tasks on the first day, though, it will help give you an idea of the content and format of the course, and you'll get involved right off the bat.
