Making the switch to online classes can be stressful. It’s a completely different style of learning from the classroom experience and requires different participation, study patterns, motivation, and more. But by implementing a few key changes, you’ll be able to succeed in online classes with no problem.
Make a Study Plan
Begin by making a study plan. Lack of classroom time often means lack of a set schedule. If you have an unstructured class schedule, where your videos are uploaded for you to watch at your convenience, this will be even more true. By planning a schedule for when you watch your lectures and when you do your assignments, you’ll give yourself a more normalized week, allowing you to get more done, and days will be less likely to melt into each other due to the more normalized time flow.
Create a Dedicated Workspace
Give yourself a space where you only do school work. This will help you concentrate when doing work and will help avoid making you feel like you need to work at all times in your house. Your brain is hardwired to see your home as a comfort space. This is especially true if you’re returning home from college because your body is only used to returning for breaks and is not used to working there as much anymore. Create a space where you can focus on what you need to accomplish. When you’re done for the day, you can leave all your school work worries in that space. It’ll be easier to mentally separate yourself from the work when you’re not in that space, ensuring you deal with less school-related anxiety throughout the home.
Limit Social Media Usage
I’m sure we’re all guilty of keeping our phones next to us when we work. We just need a second to check that one notification and before we know it…that second turns into an hour. Turn your phone off, put it in a different room, or put it on airplane mode when you really need to concentrate and get work done. You’ll get more done in a shorter period of time with your mind 100% focused on school work. And then you can use all your additional free time for whatever you want. Phones can be fine for a short break after intervals of work, but make sure to set a timer on something other than your phone.
Set Goals and Reward Yourself
Whether it’s completing a lecture or turning in an assignment, every little win counts. Set up goals for yourself so you have something you’re striving to complete and then reward yourself when you’re done with it. Whether it’s finally getting to watch that new episode, letting yourself have a dessert, or buying yourself something you’ve wanted, you can use it to help yourself get your work done. Motivation helps. Just make sure you know what motivates you the most so you keep on task.
Most importantly, take a step back and see what works best for you. Don’t be afraid to try and fail at the ideas listed above or any other ideas. If one doesn’t work, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’ve identified something that doesn’t work for you. Keep trying until you find what fits, and you’ll have no problem ace-ing your online courses.