hello, it's seo from tbhstudying and i'm
excited to be partnering with LG to bring you guys the best
tips, tricks, and essentials to remote learning!
i know i've made a video like this before but this is more of an updated
video after going through online classes myself during spring and summer
and hopefully this helps you guys as we all move forward. without further ado, let's begin!
i'm going to start with the essentials. first you need wi-fi access and a device
for the device, i would definitely recommend a laptop. i think laptops are probably the best for school because
they're versatile and can handle the different programs you may need for school whether that be
homework programs like sapling or webassign or programs like word, excel, powerpoint, matlab
and others. also certain websites just work better on a computer compared to a mobile or tablet device
and i would also recommend a laptop over a pc because laptops are more lightweight and easier to carry around
the LG gram fits the bill perfectly because they're ultra lightweight! like i can carry this bad boy in one
hand easily! and they're also durable and have a long lasting battery
i also love that the battery cable is super long so you can keep your device plugged in
even if the outlet is far away and it's also great because i can do more than just school stuff on it
i can work remotely on my research for the lab i'm working at
and i can also play pc games since it operates on windows
and also this might be more of a shallow measure of its utility but
i also love that the LG gram is sleek and minimalistic
but ultimately the LG gram would be a fantastic device and a perfect essential for you during online classes!
aside from the device that you use, some other essentials are the materials that you need to take notes and do homework
that can be notebooks, loose leaf paper, whatever you typically use
one pro of remote learning is that you can have all your materials accessible to you in one space
and you don't really have the excuse of forgetting it at home or having to carry it around
the only thing i ended up really changing about my methods was to keep a
blank notepad or notebook nearby to jot down any emergency notes or complete
some extra problem that showed up. now let's talk about how you can stay on
top of online classes and really succeed. the first thing is your wi-fi connection
i feel like this is more of a systemic issue since people located in rural communities or
with low socioeconomic backgrounds tend to have the worst wi-fi
but here are some ways where you can potentially fix your wi-fi. first off, check your wi-fi speed
there's some websites you can google to test this but
see if this speed matches a plan that you're paying for. if it's lower, then call your internet provider
on bad days i would attend class right next to my router. wi-fi signals can be blocked by different objects and the
walls so sitting right next to the router helped a bit
and also set a password on your wi-fi network so that strangers can't join your wi-fi and leech off your signal
you can also try coordinating with your family to see when people need to use the wi-fi the most
for example, during exams, i asked my parents not to use the wi-fi for heavy duty wi-fi tasks like video calls
if you have the money, you could also try upgrading your router to a better version
or purchase a wi-fi extender or upgrade your wi-fi plan
you can also check to see if your router needs to be updated
before the class begins, take a look at the syllabus but now
really look at all the minute details such as the zoom meeting id and password,
class times, available office hours. if you feel comfortable, turn on your camera
you don't have to unmute yourself, just keep your face on camera. this way you won't be tempted to look at your
phone or do something else during class
and also your professor can tell if their way of delivering the lecture is helping you
or if you need more time to write down something from the slides. it also offers a human connection
during remote learning and reminds your professor about who you are, what you look like, all that
which is good especially if you frequent office hours or if you're going to have another class
later on with that professor. most people use zoom for their online
classes but whichever software you use, start logging in a few minutes early
especially if you have lagging internet. you should also ask your professor to
record lectures especially if your internet is bad
zoom can crash and if you're on a different time zone, it might be harder
for you to attend certain classes. this isn't an incentive to skip class!! it's more of a precaution.
and also stay engaged in the class! it's so easy to feel disengaged from the class if you're no longer in the
classroom setting but you can still actively participate
in the class by asking questions, contributing to the conversation or
answering questions out loud in zoom call. if you need to ask your professor a question,
speaking up is more likely to get you an answer than sending it in the chat.
also turn on airplane mode for your phone
i know i've said that you should put your phone away but sometimes you do
need your phone for class if you need to do a classroom activity
so i just turn airplane mode on because it's faster and easier than turning your phone completely on and off
i mentioned this in a previous video but the same ideas still apply. maintain your routine, create a good
study space for yourself, eliminate distractions, manage your time well, turn in assignments early
and maintain good communication with your classmates and professors. i'm not going to rehash these
out for you but i'll leave links down below if you haven't watched my original video
these are just general good principles to adhere to but now let's talk about
some new tips and strategies. every week, check in with yourself, see
what's going to come up this week, set yourself tangible and achievable goals
and see how you're doing mentally and physically
i found that i would get lost easily during online class since there was less
structure to my life, and since i wasn't in the physical class environment, doing this helped me realize
when tests and exams were and it helped me maintain a certain level of productivity per week
it also helped me keep myself from burning out. i primarily use notion to keep track of this
but you can use your planner or just a regular journal
you should also check your email a couple times a day since teachers and
professors tend to send out notifications at various times
turn on notifications for your school's platform and classes and email
to make sure you're not missing out on anything and also you don't have to have
a question to reach out to your professors!
you can send them interesting articles about their subject and i sent my
roman history professor a bunch of memes about caesar! it just keeps the human connection going
and makes you feel more engaged and active in the class.
this especially applies if you have asynchronous classes but don't push anything off longer than a day
in general you don't want to procrastinate but for certain tasks and
assignments with longer deadlines, you can get away with not doing it for a day
however, don't let yourself get away with that for anything more than a day in a row
this was the most forgiving thing i did with myself during my online semesters since i also had to juggle family
responsibilities, house duties, and other activities while attending online school
this strategy also helped me balance my duties with my schoolwork and satisfied
the urge to procrastinate while not really procrastinating and this goes
without saying but don't cheat! most schools have some sort of anti-cheating software
and also cheating just hurts you in the long run. in most cases, classes build on top of each other and
if you cheat, you undermine that foundation in your long-term memory
you might get a good grade now but later on in higher level classes
you will have a much harder time compared to other people who didn't cheat
it's just not worth it
finally, keep an open mind. it's easy to have a negative attitude
about online classes and remote learning but i found that adopting that kind of
attitude prevented me from getting the full experience out of my classes
and it also brought my mental health down. instead of complaining about online class,
keep looking forward and look on the bright side. everyone else is in the same boat as you and
no one likes where we're at right now but we're doing this for our safety during these times
i hope this helped and thank you for watching! again, thank you to LG for
partnering with me to bring you guys these tips and tricks for remote learning
i hope your online classes this semester or quarter go well and i will see you in the next video. bye!