Online learning has become an increasingly popular option for many people, including students taking online classes and degree programmes. Virtual learning is flexible and convenient, but also requires discipline, motivation, and effective organizational and time management skills. It is no secret that a sudden shift to online instruction has left many students feeling overwhelmed about their academic success. Learning from home has its challenges, but here are some tips and strategies to help you make the most of your online learning experience no matter where you are in your learning journey.
Firstly, you should establish a productive learning environment. Working on assignments from a relaxed position and watching a movie on the side is not ideal if you aim to be productive. Students choose an area in their homes that is free from common distractions.
Set a schedule for completing and reviewing assignments. Working on three courses at the same time can cause an individual to experience a high level of stress, but this can be avoided if you allocate specific times to work on each class. Along with the time you set aside to complete assignments, it is also suggested to have a set time to look over the tasks for every one of your classes so that you can set up an agenda for each week. In doing this, you won’t mistakenly forget to turn something in.
Seek virtual interactions with your peers. Studying with a group of peers in the library or simply receiving on-the-spot clarifications from classmates is obviously not possible during this time. However, forming virtual interactions through team platforms is a feasible action you could take in order to maintain that sense of collaboration and community.
Use strategies to section out tasks, where you take a large task or a large amount of information and divide it into smaller units. Instead of staring at a computer screen for three hours at a time, you would be better off dividing that time into smaller periods by following a specific pattern.
Find ways to stay motivated. While there are various steps you can take to create a routine and maintain productivity, every now and then a lack of motivation may set in and you could find it difficult to accomplish the task at hand. Online courses basically mean that you are learning separate from others; the feeling that you’re isolated from your peers and even your instructors – that physical and emotional distance can cause many motivational issues. You should try to recognize when your motivation is low and then determine the reason why. Let us look at a few ways this can be done.
Try to increase your interest in the work. There may be times where you go over an assignment or task that seems rather tedious. Instead of waving it off as the days go by, think about how you can turn the assignment or task into an engaging one. Using this strategy means using your imagination to creatively modify the work you will submit.
You can also make the work you are doing online more personally significant. You may experience a lack of motivation when you feel unconnected to an assignment or task being given. If you feel you are confronted by this feeling, try to think critically about how that assignment could be useful in helping them in the future. You have to find a way to connect the task to what you’re interested in already. For instance, if you’re in the graduate level, you may want to consider using completed assignments or tasks for the conference presentations.
Imagine yourself on a path toward mastering the subject. This kind of talk is executed when you think out loud about the goals you’re trying to accomplish. Answering this question can produce a continuous response that starts with the credit you earn for the assignment, then the grade you receive from taking the course, and finally ending with landing the dream job you’ll have after graduation. Thinking like this leads you to say that this is not something you must do, rather something you need to do to achieve your goals.
As you adjust to working online, it’s important to remember that most questions can be answered when you read instructions carefully and when you go over each module properly. Though teachers are prepared to answer your questions, instead of sending multiple emails throughout the day for each problem you’re facing, it may be more productive to first try to resolve the issue yourself through a Google search.
It is also vital to focus on your self-care. It is completely understandable if you need to step away from the computer for a few hours or if you need to take a day to rest. Taking the time to recover is necessary and you shouldn’t feel bad about it. Of course, also remember that individuals everywhere are going through many of the same experiences you are right now. Have patience towards those who might not know how to set up a video chat or who may be taking a longer time to adjust to this new normal.
