When I started grad school, I had never attended an online class; I communicated with my professors and fellow students face-to-face, sitting in a classroom or mingling in the hallways; networking was as easy as a firm handshake and a bright smile. Thus, I was in for a bit of a culture shock when, after my first semester of graduate school, I was informed that all my classes would be online. Hmmm, didn't I move here specifically for school, to not only learn but network with seasoned professionals and young upstarts such as myself? How was I going to engage in conversation, creating professional contacts, when half of my professors and colleagues lived 100s of miles away? For better or worse however, this is the way of the future. Online classes are becoming more and more popular, and technology is changing the way we think, the way we interact, and the way we live.

Adapting to an online culture is not an option; it is mandatory for survival in almost any field. In face-to-face classes, one can get away with being shy and quiet; professors will still see your face and communicate with you; students sitting next to you will most likely engage you in conversation. But what happens when you no longer have a face? What happens when you are simply a name on a screen? There has been speculation that it is in fact easier for shy people to communicate via technology rather than in person; however, in my experience in the virtual classroom, loud people are still loud, quiet people are still quiet and those of us in the middle are still...well, in the middle.

Unfortunately however, networking is just as important today as it was yesterday and creating professional contacts and relationships could be the difference between a life of fast food and fine dining. So what are we to do?

The first and most important thing to do is PAY ATTENTION in class! It is much easier to goof off in a virtual environment than in the classroom. Even passing notes in class requires stealth. In an online world, the possibilities for distraction are endless. From cleaning house and watching TV to writing that paper due tonight, it can be a struggle to focus on the topic at hand. However, successful networking requires that you know what you are talking about, so it is important to listen to the lecture and interact appropriately. You can't get away with being a face in the crowd anymore; now you're a name on a screen, so it is 78 times as important to communicate in class. Most virtual settings will allow you to communicate via text chat as well as with a microphone. Make use of these tools and allow your personality to shine through the computer screen.The next step in virtual networking is to make use of all those social media sites that you've been using to stalk your exes. Now it's time to put them to use, so take down the drunken photos from your Facebook account and "friend" your classmates and professors. Technology may have changed the way we network, but it has in no way made it impossible. There are a plethora of social networking sites available. From Twitter, LinkdeIn, Youtube and Facebook to wikis, blogs, emails and listservs, we have the ability to stay constantly connected. In the words of Marshall McLuhan, we are becoming a "global village." The world is getting smaller and networking is as easy as staying relevant in the web 2.0 world. So spend some time getting comfortable with various social networking sites and get to know your professors and classmates outside of class.

That said however, if you are fortunate enough to live near your professors or other students, make sure to take advantage of the situation and arrange a meeting time, even if it's just to say hello. After all, technology may allow constant connectivity, but face-to-face meetings allow you to show off that firm handshake and bright smile.

Bethany Farmer is working on her last semester of graduate school at the University of Tennessee. She will receive a Master's in Information Science in August. Her favorite activities include kayaking, dreaming about life after graduate school and shoe shopping.