Zoom University Class of 2021! These current circumstances that we’re in are definitely less than ideal. Never in a million years would I picture that the start of my senior year of college would be spent over zoom in the basement of my childhood home. No one expected this, and I don’t think anyone is thrilled about it. College is supposed to be the best four years of our lives (in my case, 6 years). It’s not meant to be spent on a computer screen for 8 hours a day. Since there’s nothing we can do about attending “Zoom University,” there are some ways we can make it better. I’m going to be sharing my top 10 tips to ace online school.
I had big plans for this upcoming year. I was going to live with my friends and tackle senior year by storm. Little did I know how much can change in a few months. I’ve decided to live at home this semester for a few reasons. The obvious being that my college is not holding in-person classes. I also never signed a lease because I had hoped to become an RA and live in the freshman residence halls. When I found out that we were going totally virtual, I thought it would make the most sense to stay home and save money. I know that a lot of you guys can relate. Everyone is in the same boat, so we might as well make the best of online learning.
Ways to Prevent Online Learning in the Future
Before I even get into the tips for online learning, let’s just chat about some ways we can all do our part to make sure that this semester, is the last semester of Zoom University. First and most important…WEAR A MASK! You guys, this is the easiest thing you can do that can help enormously. If everyone wore a mask, I can guarantee that we wouldn’t be having school online this semester.
Secondly, please try your best to avoid large and even small gatherings. I understand how hard this can be. I’ve personally struggled a lot with not seeing my friends, and just the all-around adjustment that quarantine has brought (you can read more about mental health struggles, here
Finding Motivation
Now that we’ve gotten some of the nitty-gritty out of the way, let’s talk school. Online learning is less than ideal and can be extremely challenging. It can be hard to find motivation, study, pay attention, and even have access to a working computer. No matter if we’re in-person or online, we’re still expected to learn the same material. No more pass/fail like in the beginning. This is the real deal, and our teachers and professors have expectations for us. They’ve had time to come up with new tools and strategies for online learning that we have to learn as well.
We can’t use online learning as an excuse to slack off, and not get that same education that we would if we were in person. You get out what you put in. Even though we have to adapt and learn to make this our new normal, there are some tips to ace online school to help you succeed.
Top 10 Tips to Ace Online School:
1. Get a planner
If you guys have read my blog post on productivity, you know how important a planner is. Whether you have a written planner or virtual one, you need something. I can’t stress how important it is to write down everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything. Write down when journals are due, dates of exams, Zoom meetings…everything. Especially being online, it can get easy to lose track of important dates and documents. Write everything in your planner down to the time you’re going to fold your laundry, so that you know you are not going to miss out on anything.
2. Have a designated space
When I decided on staying home this semester, I knew that I needed a designated space for school and class. A place where I only worked on homework and studying, nothing else. Trying to start my senior year of college online in my childhood bedroom is just not feasible. There are way too many distractions. I set up a desk in my basement that I correlate with schoolwork. No matter what, DO NOT try and do schoolwork on your bed. Your bed is for sleeping, not for attending class. You’ll thank me for this one.
3. Create a schedule
Having a schedule for class and homework is vital for success. It’s easy to know where you need to be for in-person classes because you’re going to different buildings and seeing different people. When you’re online, all you have is your computer. It can be easy to mix up classes and assignments since you’re not changing rooms. Make a schedule where you write down your class times and the designated time of the day when you’re going to work on each class. Schedule out when you’re going to work out as well so it doesn’t have to be a guessing game everyday.
4. Make a morning/night routine
I don’t know about you guys, but quarantine has totally changed up my sleep schedule. I went from waking up at 7:45, to barely waking up at 10:30 with an alarm. In order to do your best in school, you need a consistent sleep and wake-up schedule. I’m not saying you need to wake up at the crack of dawn, but just keep it consistent. I know it’s tempting to roll out of bed a minute before class starts, but try to give yourself at least 30 minutes to wake up, brush your teeth, get some breakfast, or even move your body. You will be in a much better headspace and less frazzled.
5. Put the phone away
I’m talking far, far, away. The temptation of checking social media, texting a friend, or scrolling on TikTok is real during online classes. You don’t have a physical teacher in front of you to hold you accountable. I’ve had to literally throw my phone on my bed before so that I don’t look at it. Keep your phone out of reach so that you’re not tempted to check it every five minutes. Better yet, put it on silent or airplane mode so that you don’t even hear when someone is trying to reach you.
6. Take advantage of resources
Even though we’re online, schools are doing their best to still make it somewhat “normal.” When I took math last year, I went to the free tutoring center almost every day. My school still is offering tutoring online, as well as other academic resources. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of these even though we’re online. After all, we’re still paying tuition, right?!
7. Invest in blue light glasses
Staring at a screen all day can be taxing on not only our minds but our bodies. Especially our eyes. Blue light glasses are great because they protect your eyes from the strain and stress of the blue light from your computer screen. Grab a pair of trendy blue light glasses to prevent the headaches that come along with online school. Plus, don’t you just feel smarter in glasses!? I’ll link the ones I have, here.
8. Treat your Professors with respect
Online school isn’t easy for anyone. Don’t get angry with your professors because something isn’t working or doesn’t make sense. We’re all trying our best. If you’re having trouble, ask them kindly for help, and I’m sure they will be more than happy to.
9. Stay connected
It’s easy to feel isolated during this time. Even though you may not be physically with your friends, you can still stay connected virtually. FaceTime study seshes are real and they work. Don’t think that since you’re on your computer by yourself, you’re alone. Stay in touch with your friends and acquaintances. We can all use some human connection right now.
10. Give yourself grace
This is some tough stuff we’re going through. No one envisioned the start of the year to be like this. If you’re not feeling motivated, or you’re not working out, or whatever it is…give yourself grace. Don’t force yourself to wake up at 6:00 am, go for a 10-mile run, study for 5 hours, then go to class. Remember that it takes time to adjust to this way of learning, and it can be challenging.
I hope that these tips to ace online school are helpful for you and give you the tools to tackle this semester with confidence. Even though this is not our first choice of learning, it doesn’t mean we have to be miserable! Remember to stay organized, productive, but still take time to relax and treat yourself. Let’s show this semester who’s boss.
xoxo
