School is officially back in session. But now, you can go to your class in less than a minute, and you can start school in your pajamas. Going to online school can have a lot of perks, but it might also be difficult to adapt to and figure out how to make the most out of school virtually. This is especially applicable for seniors for whom this may be the last year of schooling for the rest of their lives. Here are five tips on making the most out of online school:
- Make friends through breakout rooms
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When you’re in a breakout room, try to connect with the people you’re with instead of staying unmuted with your camera off. Try to become friends with them through the breakout room instead of the main session because your professor can definitely see everything that you and your friends say in the chat, even if you send it privately.
- Go to office hours
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Virtual office hours can actually be better than those that are in-person due to Zoom’s waiting room feature. Instead of feeling rushed by the people waiting to talk to the professor or feeling shy because of the other students around you, you can have one-on-one time with your professor to ask them whatever you’d like.
- Take more classes
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This won’t apply to everyone, but if you do find yourself with some extra free time, consider taking more classes than you normally would in-person. If you take more classes, you can either graduate earlier or take classes about something you really want to learn and wouldn’t have had time for otherwise.
- Use Google Chrome extensions
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Google Chrome extensions can be very helpful in making online school more accessible and enjoyable. Grammarly is an extension that can tell you when you’ve made a spelling or grammatical error in your essays. Weava Highlighter allows you to highlight any words and put them in a folder, and you can also highlight PDFs using your laptop. Another good one is called Picture in Picture for every website through which you can watch videos through a floating video player while you’re in class or doing some work.
- Sett time blocks
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Setting chunks of time to do your classwork is a method that’ll keep you organized and focused. After you end class, set a timer for 30 minutes to an hour to work on an assignment. It can help prevent procrastination, and it will eventually lead to more time for you to have fun and relax after you finish your work.
It’s going to be hard to adapt to online school, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a good school experience. You can still meet new people and establish good relationships with your professors virtually. Take advantage of these five ways to make the most out of your school year!