In the last year and a half, I have signed up for about 30 online courses with 6 providers, and completed about 7. Some fell by the wayside because of lack of time, and I willingly dropped out of others. Based on this experience, I would suggest two things

1. Before The MOOC: Understand your requirements and choose the right course:
   

• Why do you want to take this course? Is it just for fun, something you are looking to explore lightly? In which case don't feel terrible if you don't finish. Is it to learn a concept that you immediately need to apply in your current work? Then try to choose shorter/self-paced courses and ones which have more hands-on practice like installing software, writing code or essays. Is it to help find a job? In which case you are better off with courses that give a certificate (perhaps a verified one like Coursera's signature track and Udacity's proctored tests) or college credit.
• What is your learning style? I have friends who prefer reading books/blogs to video lectures because you can't search/skip ahead easily in videos. Choose a course that suits your style
• You can use websites like SlideRule for searching, comparing courses and reading reviews. (Disclaimer: I co-founded SlideRule) Once you've made the right choice, odds of success are automatically much higher

2. Through the MOOC: Find a study companion: Almost always, I was more likely to complete courses which my friends had finished & recommended, or if a friend was taking the same course with me. It makes for great discussion, even healthy competition (I already turned in the assignment, did you?)

3. After the MOOC: Again depends on what you took the course for.

• If it is for fun, you probably don't need to do much. Maybe you met some cool fellow-learners at a meetup or in the forums - stay in touch.
• If it was for a need in your current work, you will likely continue to apply what you learnt. This is the best scenario.
• If it is for a job hunt, put it up on LinkedIn and NewAge credentialing platforms like Degreed.com, Accredible. We have also written a blog post on How to Position Your Online Learning During A Job Search