How To Enjoy Your Online Studying

Dr Akhil Shahani Jul 03, 2020

There is a certain joy and energy in your college classroom when you are with your friends. However, with COVID-19, you may be limited to learning online for a long time. How can you ensure your virtual classes are as engaging as your physical ones?

Before You Start

Make sure you have a reliable internet connection and good smartphone/tablet/laptop ready. Test your connection with online videos on YouTube.

Setup a free account on Dropbox or Google Docs to save your work regularly in case of connection mishaps

Backup your online course materials and have your instructors' contact number handy

Find a quiet corner in your home and ask the family to not disturb you while class is on. Disconnect from social networks & online groups so you are not distracted by regular “pings”.

Set daily goals for studying, like the class videos you’ll watch and assignments you need to complete before the end of the day. Try to do the difficult work in the morning when your mind is fresh. Ideally, follow a similar schedule every day so this becomes a habit.

At the beginning of the week, create a To-do list that sets targets for the work you need to complete by the end of the week. This will help you prioritize your daily tasks more effectively.

Have a ‘study buddy’ in your class so you can encourage each other to finish the required work and offer additional support if needed.

During the Class

Be proactive in class. Ask questions of the instructor, participate in class discussion forums, share resources and make more friends in class. Research shows that students who are proactive are 77% more likely to complete an online course successfully.

Actively take notes while the lecture is going on. These notes can be offline in your notebook or online on your laptop notes program. Taking notes can promote active thinking, boost comprehension, and extend your attention span.

Do not multitask. Example - Checking your friend’s messages on WhatsApp while the video lecture is going on. Your brain can only give attention to one thing at a time. When you quickly switch between tasks, your brain takes time to get its attention back to the task at hand and you are not able to perform effectively at either of the two tasks. Stay focused on one thing at a time. You’ll absorb more information and complete assignments with greater productivity and ease than if you were trying to do many things at once.

Ask for help from the instructor during or after class when you need it. You may be tempted to search for help yourself online, however, this will take more time than simply speaking to the teacher.

After Class

Take a break to clear your head for at least 20 minutes. Walk around the house or have a snack. Ideally do not look at another screen. This will help you clear your head and refresh your brain before your next class or starting work on an assignment.

Keep yourself accountable. Share your weekly targets with your friends so that you are more likely to complete them, as you do not want to look unproductive in public.

Work on your assignments along with a study partner. You can be sources of informational support and motivation for each other.

Find ways to keep yourself motivated. Eat healthy food, so your energy levels stay up. Decorate your study space with motivational pictures and quotes. You may have less productive days, but that should not derail your studies.

Studying online will force you to develop new skills to adapt to these new methods of learning. However, if you accept these challenges and work hard towards succeeding, you may get the same levels of joy and energy you had when you could go to college.