How To Rock Your Online Classes!

A lot has changed since January 2020. Your job, social life, habits, and perhaps even core values as an individual have shifted greatly since the era of social distancing began. For many college students, a new semester is here yet again and with a twist that can quite honestly make or break your pursuit in higher education. Zoom and Google Hangouts are now the new lecture halls and Youtube is your new textbook. College is much different than what it was a year prior, but that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult. Here are some tips that can help you rock your online classes.

Time management, if managed effectively, can be the difference between having a healthy balance of school, work, social life, etc or if managed ineffectively can cause procrastination which then yields to immense levels of stress and unnecessary worry. Creating a schedule of your courses and assignments using a physical planner makes time management a lot less difficult when you know what’s due when and which class starts at what time. For those who prefer to be a little bit more tech-savvy, Google Calendar or Apples accomplishes the same and I personally track everything related to my coursework there as well, and the accessibility is easier since I’m already on my computer or phone practically most of the day.

Establishing a study section, whether it's your living room, a coffee shop, or in your backyard, is also vital towards your success in online schooling. When class was in person, you had a “study” environment that consisted of classrooms, lecture halls, or the library. It’s the same effect now as having an area where you can buckle down and get to work will allow productivity to soar, just like when school was in session face-to-face.

Finally, eliminate any and all distractions. It’s very easy to slip behind in class material if Netflix is constantly on in the background, your phone is buzzing every 30 seconds, and your Spotify “Study and Relax” playlist is also playing in the distance. Although it may be difficult to do so, turning off your phone and putting it in another area completely is an effective remedy to eliminate most if not all of your typical distractions.

Although education, as we know it has changed for the foreseeable future, if there is one ability humans have the power to harness, it’s the power to adapt to a different environment (some may take longer than others, but it eventually happens). Take into consideration what habits or actions you’re currently doing during your scheduled class time. What can be changed, why, and more importantly, how?