Tips for online college learning

With the majority of high schools and colleges moving to online classes, many students will be studying online from home. This is new for many students, parents and even instructors. It can create a lot of uncertainty and anxiety when thinking about how your classes, work and life will change moving forward. Here are some tips to help you prepare for the remaining two months of the semester.

Perspective

Changes this drastic can be overwhelming, but it’s important to remind yourself that almost everyone else is uncertain of the future, too. Your professors have to revise, change and create an entirely new syllabus in a few days and learn all the online tools. Your parents, or whoever you live with, will have to get used to you being home. You have to adapt as well and be patient because this is a big change for everyone in a short period of time.

Self-discipline

Try to keep your life as similar to your college self as possible. Wake up, do homework, eat and do things at the same time. Do your schoolwork before anything else, so you don’t get left behind. If you can still talk to your professor via zoom or skype, you should do so. This helps it make it feel like you’re in class rather than at home.

Avoid socializing with people face-to-face as much as possible. The reason you are home is to avoid being sick. Wash your hands, stay home and be cautious of others around you.

Communication

Communication between the university and students is crucial in a time like this. Reading your emails, checking BOLT and reading the revised syllabus are must-do tasks. Also, if you have questions make sure to email, or schedule an online meeting with your instructor. It’s important you check when your assignments are due, and which ones are canceled. Some projects can only be done on campus.

Stay motivated

Hopefully, you are studying something that you’re passionate about. It’s a lot easier to motivate yourself when you have to get up at a certain time and be in class. Being around people who have similar interests and doing hands-on work is a lot more interesting. Unfortunately, there are some majors and classes that have to cancel cool projects, videos, art and lab assignments and become more of a lecture and reading-based class, which is a bummer. However, your major and classes remain the same and you should still be interested in learning the material. Being passionate about the material will help you engage in your work more.

Try your best

It can be overwhelming keeping up with the virus news while avoiding being sick. It’s hard to focus on school when real life interrupts. Many people are out of jobs right now, and it can be difficult to focus on school when you’re in an unstable position. Attending class zoom sessions on your phone or laptop, doing discussion boards and assignments on deadline, and making the most of situations will help you succeed in almost any online class.