Tips for online learning

4 min read

Due to COVID-19, many colleges are conducting online learning or a hybrid model. This move to online learning will be difficult for some students who are used to being in a classroom full of their peers. The good thing is the students won’t be the only ones going through this transition to online learning. Here are some of our tips to succeeding when it comes to learning online.

Create a schedule 

Time management is going to be key to avoiding procrastination while studying online, so it is important you plan out your day and prioritise. Invest in a diary or make sure that every day you write down your daily tasks and everything you want to get done that day. Writing down the plan and placing it somewhere you can see will help keep your focus. One problem students might have during the COVID-19 outbreak is to be tempted to sleep in. This may lead to being in a sluggish mindset when you eventually do wake up and might expose you to the dangerous effects of studying late at night to get all your work done. It's important to stay disciplined, wake up every morning at roughly the same time you would if you did have to go into class.

Take breaks

As much as it is important to check things off your study list it is just as important to schedule frequent and well-earned breaks too. Set a reminder on your phone to take breaks and time away from the screen. It is really easy to stay sat at a desk for long periods but this is terrible for your mind and body. Get up, go outside, get fresh air. Not only will your body thank you for this break, but it will also restart you mentally. Sometimes a break can help with a difficult task as it will help you refocus or it will mentally prepare you for the next task on your study list.

Ask questions

Studying online is a completely different dynamic to being sat in a class full of your peers. The one thing that is the same for everyone is the access to resources and to your teacher. Make sure you are asking questions when you are stuck either by emailing the teacher or asking on class discussion board. It can feel a bit daunting asking questions on a public platform like it would be in a class infant of your peers but it is important to ask questions if you need help. Asking questions will not only help you but will prove that you are an engaged student during these difficult times of having to learn online.

Switch off any potential distractions

Just like in class you shouldn’t be on your phone or surfing the web and the same goes for online learning. It is important to stay focused and not get distracted by social media or anything else on your computer. If you can’t be trusted not looking at your phone or getting distracted on the internet, then there are settings on your phone and apps you can download that can restrict access to these chosen sites/apps. Plenty of students also fall into the trap of trying to multitask, such as watching a TV at the same time as studying. This is proven to be ineffective, and what knowledge you try to absorb simply won’t go in. If your phone is your procrastination crutch you need to try to switch it off or leave it in a different room so you can focus on your studies better.

If you have any other questions or concerns about online studying you can send us an email on info@firstpointusa.com

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