How to Focus During Online Classes

Quarantine has been quite a challenging time for people across the nation and world. Being in quarantine, I can’t help but contemplate everything but what I should be focusing on: school. Even when I was physically in class I found it incredibly difficult to focus on any lecture or try to figure out what my TA was droning on about during my weekly recitations. With that being said, focusing in class can be a struggle and Zoom has made it even harder to do so. Here are some ways to get around your inevitable desire to minimize your class window and do just about anything else but pay attention.

Hide Self View

During my online classes, I can’t help but stare at what a hot mess I am and overthink about what my classmates must be saying about it. But then, I realize we’re all in college and class isn’t a fashion show so there was never really a need to dress up and put on a whole face of makeup. Anyway, I had a huge problem with staring at my own video during online class until I decided to hide my personal window. I’m not saying I distract myself in a vain way but I end up developing a fixation on how I look and constantly feel the need to part my hair differently or try to look ‘presentable’ in my pajamas. 

Download internet blocker extensions.

This seems like a bit much but if you’re the type of person who’s surfed the web during in-person classes, then I think this would be a good option for you. There are plenty of extensions on Google Chrome that can either block certain websites or serve as place timers on how long you can surf for. I certainly don’t have the willpower to stop myself from online shopping while my professor spews his thoughts on philosophy. 

Put your notifications on do not disturb. 

This seems like an obvious tip but sometimes we need to be reminded to put our phones on do not disturb. Of course you don’t want your phone to go off while your microphone is unmuted, but it’s important to also remember that your phone is probably your #1 distraction. I will admit that I am the type of person to drop everything in front of me when I get one text, snap, or Instagram notification. One notification turns into several which leads into your endlessly scrolling on another app. 

Try to take your calls outside of your bedroom. 

I know the comfort of your bed sounds way better than an uncomfortable desk chair, but it’s pretty counterproductive to just sit in bed all day. It’s a no-brainer that it’s harder to concentrate in your bedroom especially when you’re laying in bed since that’s the room where you relax and literally sleep in. So, throw off that comforter and try sitting at a desk or your dining table to help you focus. 

Adjusting to online classes isn’t as easy as everyone might make it seem. Switching from in-person classes to remote leaning really threw me in for a loop. If anything, I felt myself slacking even more and just distracted from stress from the whole virus outbreak and other factors. However, I did realize that there is a way to get around the abrupt switch to online classes and its quirks. 

• online learning