5 Tips for Taking Online Classes

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Happy Tuesday friends!

I hope everyone’s weekend was good! Jordan’s birthday was on Saturday so we went down to Beaumont to stay with my brother and have some friends and family over for steaks and cake… After all, is there a better combo? 😉

We got back Sunday evening and things have been crazy ever since! As most of you probably know, there are two hurricanes in the gulf that are supposed to hit near/directly on Beaumont. The city is supposed to get a lot of rain at least with the first one and is supposed to also get wind (and a lot of rain) with the 2nd. My mom, step dad, and their cat, Autumn, are evacuating up here to stay with me and Jordan until it’s safe to go back so we’ve been working to make sure the house is clean (it never is when you come back from a weekend away, is it haha?) and make sure they have everything they need. To everyone who in the areas that may be affected, we are sending a constant stream of prayers your way!

Today’s post kind of plays in with the storms as well. I know a lot of people have been having to switch to online learning since COVID-19 and whether you are used to it or not, it can still be an adjustment to get a rhythm down. Now with the storms rolling in and the possibility of having to evacuate, even more classes may be switching to online, at least temporarily to make sure the students don’t fall behind. So, I figured I would take the time to share a few tips about online learning that I feel are helpful and that will help to make sure you’re still getting the most out of your classes (some might call me a nerd for saying this… but when you’re paying hundreds or sometimes thousands of dollars for a class, you want to be sure you’re learning the dang information lol).

 

1. Set aside time for studying.

It’s easy to push studying aside, especially when you’re taking online classes. I would recommend adding study time into your schedule for the day. Write it down and assign it a time (ie. 8:00pm – Studying) that way, you see it on your to-do list and your agenda so you’ll be less likely to skip it.

2. Put your phone across the room during class or homework.

This is probably my biggest source of distraction, even still when I’m trying to work on a blog post or get something done. I’ll go to reach for my coffee to grab a quick sip and instinctively grab my phone just to check if I have any messages or hop on Instagram for a quick second. I almost ALWAYS find something I’m interested in and next thing I know, I might have wasted 10-15 minutes on my phone. If this happens every time I go to take a coffee sip, you can see how the time adds up. It’s natural for us to want to have our phones right by us to ensure we’re connected to our friends and family, but I would strongly recommend putting your phone out of reach during class or while you’re studying or doing homework to keep yourself focused and limit distractions. Not to mention, this also helps make you want to get your homework done more quickly! So it pushes you to work through it and finish, rather than procrastinating and making it drag on.

3. Hire a tutor if you need it.

There are so many resources available online these days that are geared towards helping students. If you start an online class and you can tell it’s going to be a tough one that you might need help studying for, consider starting a virtual study group or better yet, look into hiring a virtual tutor who can help explain the material to you. A lot of universities even have tutors available for free that the school pays for so students can utilize the tutoring services. Look into the options available at your school or some other tutoring options online like Chegg Study. You can get online tutors to help you with the assignments and the material so you won’t get confused or fall behind in the course.

4. Get your homework done the day it’s assigned.

This is so important, yet probably the most difficult to do. It takes a lot of self-discipline to do your work the day it’s assigned, rather than waiting until the night before it’s due (or sometimes even the day of, let’s be honest). This is one I didn’t even start doing until I reached my MBA program honestly. I was working full-time, trying to start my blog and also trying to go to school full-time online. It wasn’t easy obviously, but it made it 10 times harder when I would forget to do my homework or just push it off until the night before it was due because I was busy. THEN I would have to throw it back to the college days when I would pull an all-nighter to get my homework done and make it to class to turn it in. Except instead of going to class to turn in my work and going back to my dorm to sleep, I would have to get ready and go to work for a 10-hour day and nap in my car on my lunch break haha. So trust me, it is WAY easier in the long run to bite the bullet and get your homework and studying done when it’s assigned, rather than wait until the last minute. Once I learned to do that, it made my classes A LOT more manageable for me!

5. Don’t have any other tabs open on your computer during class or homework.

Ugh this one is even STILL so hard for me to follow. I always say my computer is a direct reflection of my brain haha… There are about 15-20 tabs open at all times, all about completely different things and all trying to split my attention evenly. It’s so hard for me to get things done if I have multiple tabs open because I constantly switch between them because something will pop into my head and I want to look at it or take care of it before I forget. So I leave what I’m doing, supposedly only for a few seconds, and next thing I know, it’s an hour later and I’ve ordered a flower pot and garden gnome from Amazon, edited 3 1/2 pics in Lightroom to post to Instagram, opened a new email account and have made it halfway to booking a trip I know I can’t afford lol. So trust me, force yourself to only have that tab open, take the time to focus on what you’re doing, and after your class is over or your homework is done, reward yourself with some mindless scrolling to decompress heehee.

 

I hope these tips help you if you find yourself taking online classes this semester! I know online classes are a lot more prominent now than they were 7 years ago when I was entering the college scene and learning about virtual classes. A LOT has changed and improved over the years and online learning is something that is super common now and is incredibly convenient for a lot of people! I hope you guys have a great semester and I hope everyone is staying safe.

Thanks for reading lovelies. If you’re interested in other “back to school” or studying tips, check out my past posts Back to School Tips for Stying Organized and 6 Spotify Playlists to Help You Focus! Until next post Xx.

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