Every student that takes classes online will have to write an introduction post to let the other students and the instructor know about you and a little of what makes you tick.  Think of the introduction as free points that you can get with little effort.

Points to include:

1. Your name
2. Where you are from
3. What you do for a living
4. Marital status
5. Kids or pets if applicable
6. Your major
7. Hobbies and interests
8. Acknowledgment of familiar students (Not applicable if it is your first class)
9. An interesting fact about you
10. Wishing the other students good luck in the class

Below is an example of a post that I did at the beginning of and Ethics class I took last year.  Keep the length between 2-300 words which can easily be accomplished in 2-3 well fleshed out paragraphs.

Hello class,

My name is Glen I am a 42 year old married father of three living in Little Rock, Arkansas.  If everything works out this will be the next to the last class I take before completing my degree in Organizational Management.  I am debating on continuing with the Master’s program it will depend on how I feel in December when they put that diploma in my hand!

I run two businesses from my home currently.  The first business is managing a blog for plus size women and big and tall men.  I will celebrate my blog’s four year anniversary in November.  The second business is that of a travel agent.  The great thing about attending Ashford and taking Web based classes is that I have been able to put the skills that I have been taught to immediate practice in my businesses.

The final part of my introduction involves a bit of self-indulgence on my part.  For the first time in my life I have done well academically making the Dean’s List Fall 2007 and Spring 2008.  That accomplishment is almost as fantastic as the anticipation of the birth of my first grandchild in December.  If all goes well I will be a college graduate and a grandpa all in the same month.

Good luck to everyone in the class I look forward to getting to know you all and learning a lot.

As you can see in the above introduction it includes 8 of 10 of the steps for which I received full points for the post.  In other words, if you include more than 50% of the items listed you will have more than enough information to meet the assignment requirements.  in conclusion, basing your introduction on the above template will guarantee success in your online class activities.