As universities and colleges gear up to accept new students, schools everywhere are continuing to ensure proper safety and social distancing measures following the COVID-19 pandemic. Many institutions still offer courses primarily online. While blended, or hybrid, learning 鈥� a combination of traditional lectures augmented with online courses 鈥� has been a popular choice for many years, other students still prefer traditional lectures. Whether you鈥檝e taken an online (eLearning) class before or find yourself enrolled in one for the very first time, here are five online study tips you can add to your arsenal to make the most of online learning when classes resume this fall.
5 Online Study Tips
If you’re embracing eLearning, you may find yourself juggling a larger than normal online course load. For international students, predominantly online learning poses an additional challenge. International students often rely on the traditional classroom experience to meet new friends and build a support group. The absence of this social interaction can make staying engaged more challenging.聽
1. Stick to a Schedule
One of the best online study tips we can offer is just to stick to a schedule. While some online lectures will be live, many will be pre-recorded and available on-demand. , including the ability to watch lectures at a time that best suits you. However, this requires discipline to keep on top of your coursework and not fall behind. This is especially important as three, four, or even five of your classes may be entirely online.
To ensure you鈥檙e not scrambling to play catch up just before a midterm or final exam, try blocking off the same time in your calendar every week for each of your pre-recorded lectures. That way you 鈥渟how up鈥� ready to learn at a predetermined time, just as you would a live online lecture or one held in the classroom. It doesn鈥檛 matter if you choose 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday evening or 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning 鈥� as long as you鈥檙e consistent, you鈥檙e already halfway there!
2. Dedicate a Space for Study
The library. The quaint local coffee shop that serves up delicious avocado toast and a killer espresso. These are just two favourite study spots, offering respite from a chatty roommate and a quiet place to work. They鈥檙e successful in helping you focus because they鈥檙e associated with study, not play. However, with social distancing measures in place, they are suddenly not as accessible or practical as they once were.
Now, students live, eat, study, and work in a single environment. With student dorms and apartments being notoriously small, most students don鈥檛 have the luxury to dedicate an entire room for studying purposes. However, even reserving a small nook in your bedroom or devoting your desk just for schoolwork helps you get in the zone and check off those items on your to-do list. When you plunk down your stack of books and open your laptop, you鈥檒l know it鈥檚 time to work.
Make sure your , and don鈥檛 forget to stock it with all of the things you鈥檒l need to get the job done, like your favourite pencils, pens, and notebook, as well as a reminder of home.
Read the blog post: 鈥�Student Perspective: 5 Things I Learned Taking Online Courses鈥�
3. Avoid Distractions
Admittedly, of all our online study tips, this one is easier said than done! We live in a world where a million things seemingly vie for our attention at any given moment, easily distracting us from our studies. If scrolling through Instagram is your weakness, there are apps, like , that will temporarily lock you out of your social media accounts, or even your phone. This will allow you to focus your time and attention on the task at hand. Before you know it, you鈥檒l be free to indulge in those fun distractions once again.
4. Stay Connected
Although in-person access to your professors or instructors might be limited, or even non-existent, they remain an invaluable resource for you to lean on. Indeed, now more than ever, it鈥檚 important to stay connected. In addition to more traditional email communication, they might also offer virtual office hours. Don鈥檛 forget, they鈥檙e also navigating this challenging time, so they will be sympathetic to what you鈥檙e going through as well.
Another way to stay connected is through the , a feature common to most online classes. It offers an opportunity to discuss course material, give and receive feedback on assignments, and get to know your fellow classmates. (While participation is often merely encouraged, sometimes it can actually be factored into your final grade.)聽
In these times of social distancing, getting to know your classmates via the message board is an excellent way to stay connected, offer mutual support, and even exchange your own tips for thriving in the world of academia amid COVID-19. After all, your fellow students are experiencing many of the same challenges, emotions, and feelings that you are. Some might also be studying abroad, which could be the foundation of a new friendship.
5. Give Yourself a Break
Studying abroad is one of the most unique and potentially challenging times of your life. You鈥檙e living far from home and your support system, and the way you鈥檙e used to learning and the entire school experience has been turned upside down. Thriving while studying abroad doesn鈥檛 come with a single playbook. Slip-ups and down days are inevitable. If you miss a live online lecture or fall behind on an assignment, be kind to yourself, learn from your mistake, and then keep pushing forward.
One of our most valuable online study tips: take it one day at a time. When this is over, you鈥檙e going to have a great story to tell about how you studied abroad right after a world-changing global pandemic!
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