Online classes can be great - there is so much more free time to do things you enjoy,
and the flexible schedule allows you to make time to plan your work and studies accordingly.
But despite the rewards, online learning is demanding and has its own particular challenges.
Most of the difficulty has to do with your level of discipline and the quality of your
routines but all of these can be slowly improved if you follow the right steps.
1.
The first tip is ridiculously simple and it's just **treating an online course like a real
course** by relying in strict routines and task lists.
You have to be disciplined enough to be able to get into a focused mode and work solely
on your class assignments without distractions.
Since your online classes will rely on using devices, embracing a distraction-free environment
will demand more than just plugging in your earphones and closing the door - installing
app blocking software on your computer or tablet is a good way to make sure you're not
giving in to distractions during study time.
Hiding icons for videogames or other platforms in a folder, blocking banner notifications
and silencing your device are also fool-proof ways to forget about disctractions.
2.
After programming your devices to transform into productivity machines, [**make the best
use of the software available]** to you.
Rely on freeware like OneNote to take the best possible class notes.
The secret is using simplified language, relying on a strict color coding and formatting scheme
and making sure to incorporate voice files, PDF documents and other resources that are
relevant to your topic and allow you to consolidate the learning material.
The good thing about learning to take your notes in digital format is that it allows
you to easily share them with your learning peers or ask feedback from your lecturer.
I have a couple of OneNote videos where I show you my tips and tricks on how to take
the best possible notes for classes, which I will link in the description box below.
3.
**[Use split screen**] Split screen will be your new best friend - either you use windows,
where that functionality is automatically available, or do it manually or through third
party apps on your mac, having access to multiple apps at a time will boost how much you can
do and glance at, at the same time.
Tracking your tasks with your digital calendar, while having your online classroom webpage
open in a corner and taking notes using half the screen will give you a panoramic view
of your work and will help you type down small notes, questions or reminders while you engage
in your coursework.
4.
Be ready to **[prepare and devote extra time]** to your lessons.
The dynamics of online classes rely a lot on reading provided materials, taking notes
accordingly and essentially take in a lot of information that would otherwise be toned
down in presential lessons.
This extra workload will force you to adapt to a different learning routine and to pay
more attention to details, secondary resources of information and learning materials including
visual aids.
What will help you managing this is being able to carefully catalog all of these materials
in an organized digital folder and index their titles, contents and date of assignment in
the note taking software of your preference.
5.
You'll have to rethink your summarizing and consolidating techniques **[change your summarizing
techniques]** and that's because an overabundance of materials and information will require
constant cross-checking of facts, definitions and other details.
Forget typing down long paragraphs and using complicated language during note-taking sessions
because never in your life it has been more important to create study guides - that is,
summaries of consolidated information where you're able to jot down everything you've
learned in a shortened format.
Each summary should correspond to a chapter and develop on or at least mention every single
topic mentioned so far during your lessons.
Creating a study guide in digital format can be very different from doing so in paper,
so to help you create effective and interesting study materials I'll be uploading a tutorial
on how I create them using OneNote.
6.
Learn to be equally strict with your schedule **[have a strict schedule]**.
The lack of physical boundaries between your house and your school will blur the lines
between leisure and work.
A good way to create invisible, but equally effective boundaries is using the calendar
blocking technique by following these simple steps:
- Start by incorporating the time and duration of your online classes into your schedule;
- Create your own study sessions around your lessons, which should include (1) half hour
to one hour blocks to prepare for a lesson, as well as (2) half hour to one hour blocks
to review a lesson after it occurs; - Block an entire morning or afternoon of
your choice to create a weekly study session where you should read the study guides or
summaries of all lectured material so far; - This should give you an idea of the start
and end time of your online learning schedule - limit in your calendar when you should enter
study mode and when you should leave study mode and create an alarm in your phone to
be alerted to those particular hours.
- After you set these basic time blocks in you calendar, feel free to go nuts and assign
a specific time to workout, read, watch your favorite shows or simply hang out with your
family.
You'll be surprised of how much you can fit into 24 hours while still ensuring full 8
hours of sleep.
7.
Prepare ahead for classes and make a ritual out of logging in early **[log in early]**.
I suggest you to get familiar with the virtual classroom software tool and looking at the
tools available to you, like private chatting, community notes or the possibility to record
the class.
Also, just memorize *in your brain* where the mute button is because that may save your
life from incredibly embarrassing situations.
8.
Don't be afraid to go beyond listening to your lectures and **[get engaged]** by participating
in your classes and contacting other classmates through virtual study groups where you can
share questions and ideas, as well as share study materials.
Slack is a great place to do this since you can easily chat with multiple members as well
as share files and create specific channels inside your main workspace.
9.
Whenever you have trouble practicing time management, remember you should be treating
studying like a full-time job.
Show up, schedule in your assignments, tasks and assessments in an organized way, share
your knowledge and notes and set daily goals and task lists like your boss was looking
over your shoulder and supervising your work.
This change in mindset will be more important to your long-term success than incorporating
all the study hacks you can find online into your study routine.
Between working, managing a business and trying to conciliate family life with some well-deserved
self-care, sometimes there isn't enough time in the day dedicated to education and for
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I hope you enjoyed today's video and I'll see you next week.
Stay safe.