Tips for Online Learning

Due to the COVID-19 virus circulating worldwide, most college students are now at home continuing their education with online learning courses. Being a student who is used to being away from home during the school year, I have found that there is an adjusting period that has to take place. It is hard to remember that your family is not used to their college kid being home at this time just as much as you aren’t used to being home. While adjusting to online classes, I have found a few tips that I think really help! 

Make a New Morning Routine: 

Whether it is getting up and taking a walk, going for a run, making your coffee, or going through your social media, it is time to make a “new” morning routine.  If you have scheduled online meeting sessions for your classes, it is much more productive to set an alarm and wake up at least 30-60 minutes before your first online class. This way you are mentally and physically awake. Following a morning routine will prevent you from getting lost in a “summer calendar,” when you have no idea what day of the week it is when you wake up. 

Get Ready For Class:

In addition to getting mentally prepared for class, it is helpful presenting yourself as if you were actually going to class. If you normally dress up for class and put makeup on, then continue to do it! If you normally go to class in your pajamas, then go ahead and do that! If you try to keep your getting-ready routine as close to normal as you can, you will see that you are much more productive and ready to complete classwork. 

To-Do Lists:

I’ve found that I am always more productive when I write things down that I’d like to accomplish. It can be really easy to get overwhelmed with the number of assignments that you may feel are constantly flooding your email. I usually put two things on my To-Do List that I know I can easily accomplish in the morning. This entails making my bed and taking my vitamins. This way it already feels like you are tackling the day. It feels so rewarding to cross things off the list! My second tip to put on your list would be to have a “bridging” task. This is something that you start at the end of your workday and purposefully do not finish. It allows you to know exactly what task to start with the next day!

Have a Designated Work Area:

It is psychologically proven that you are less productive doing homework on your bed and more productive doing homework in a designated area. This is because your brain unconsciously associates the scene of your bed with sleep which will cause you to be less productive. Trust me, I understand the temptation of wanting to do homework while being cozy in bed. It is best to have a designated area where you will be doing your work every day.  I usually like to do homework at my desk, but when I need a change of scenery I move to my kitchen table!

Take Breaks:

While working from home, it is easy to sit in front of your computer for hours on end. It is important for your sanity and productivity to take breaks when you need them. My breaks usually consist of seeing what’s new on Tik Tok, getting a snack, and going for a short walk outside. 

Have a Work Buddy:

I have found that it is really fun to have someone on FaceTime while you are both doing classwork. There isn’t usually a lot of talking, but it is really nice knowing that you are being productive while in the company of someone else working on a similar task. Having a work buddy is an easy way to keep you and a friend accountable for your work during online classes!

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