How to Perfect Online Learning in COVID-19

The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed our lives for good.  From employees and healthcare workers to students and parents, everyone faced a huge curveball thrown at them. Because businesses and schools shut down, people had to resort to other ways of survival. Thanks to technology, the transition to a digitized ecosystem for us has never been easier. People took this as an opportunity and moved their focus towards modern survival.

Students had to suffer the most during the pandemic, and the transition to online learning was not easy for everyone. Staying motivated and keeping your goals in check is difficult, especially when you’re uncertain of future conditions. However, to help you stay motivated and keen for online studies during Covid-19, we’ve come up with a list of tips to help you!

It’s not easy to come up with the best practices to support the transition to online learning, in such a short time. The focus of online learning is mainly on identifying the gaps of distance learning and using proper guidance and information to bridge them. For a proper e-learning experience, students are required to have access to their desktops, laptops, or smartphones, and other video-conferencing devices such as a webcam and microphone.

Adapting to e-learning tools and understanding the right way to study online is all you need to become the star student you want to be.  Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can stay motivated and dedicated through it all.

• Design Your Study Area

Shifting from a well-designed classroom-based learning schedule to studying from your room at home takes a huge toll on your productivity and performance. You get more comfortable, more relaxed, and therefore, a lazy procrastinator. Not to mention, there are several distractions at home that keep interfering with your focus and pace during online classes.

It’s necessary to dedicate a workspace for your learning so you can focus and perform well academically. Set up a proper desk with all the important tools you need, from your stationery, books, and hard drives to the headphones and mini lamps, make sure you make the space as comfortable and personal as you want so you feel relaxed and productive at the same time.

Treat your study area like a temple and keep it clean and organized. A cluttered space clutters the mind and causes distractions. Keep the area neat and organized to avoid losing focus.

• Create Your Schedule

The most effective way to lose track of time and get overwhelmed with work is by not following a routine. If you can’t dedicate a block of your time to important tasks, it becomes harder to remain motivated and focused. Devote a chunk of your time to each class, study session, homework/projects, and family commitments.

Find a time when you’re most productive and dedicate that time to studying and finishing projects and assignments. Factor in your breaks as well but make sure you set a strict time limit. Catch your favorite TV shows on AT&T TV or read a good book in that period. A good 15 to 30 minutes break should be enough to refresh your mind and recharge you.

Following a proper routine will not only maintain your productivity but also keeps you motivated throughout the day, free of burden.

• Get Rid Of Distractions

If you’re looking for the easiest way to kill productivity during online learning, start looking around your house for distractions. You’ll find your home to be filled with them. There’s family, TV, internet, games, video streaming, books and the list never ends. Getting rid of distractions isn’t difficult, but it takes time. There are several ways you can block distractions.

The most important one is keeping your phone out of reach. Leave it on silent and keep it somewhere you can’t reach easily. The last thing you want is to get distracted by the notifications popping on your phone. It only leads to procrastination.

Another way to boost productivity and block distractions is by limiting access to websites online when you’re studying or working. FocusMe, Stay Focused, Freedom, and Cold Turkey are some popular website blockers that work brilliantly in blocking access to other websites that can distract you instantly. For instance, when the website blocker extension is activated, you can’t open your favorite social media site, which reminds you to go back and finish your work.

• Join Virtual Study Groups

Yes, the pandemic has made it impossible to meet people normally, but that doesn’t mean you have to lose contact. Video conferencing platforms like Skype, Zoom, Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, and others have gained a lot of attention in the past few months. They’re not only used for online classes, but students worldwide depend on these platforms to communicate with one another and reach out for help.

Just like you, other students are self-isolating and in the same situation as you. You can always join a virtual study group for that extra boost of motivation and energy, especially when you need assistance with your work.

• Track Your Progress

Tracking your progress is a great way to feel accomplished and great about yourself. Set your study goals and track your progress against them. For instance, once you start your study session, set a goal you wish to achieve by the end of the session. Once the session is over, analyze your whole session and identify the milestones you achieved during this time. Did you fulfill your goal? Make sure your goals and milestones are realistic.

Don’t stress yourself and beat yourself up if you fail to achieve the goal and tasks in the given time. To make it more practical, breakdown your goal further into small tasks and write them on a to-do list. You can also download task tracker apps like Asana, Trello, and more to help you with this.

By doing so, not only will you understand your pace, productivity, and strengths during online learning, but you will make sure to find ways to improve your performance and time management skills to achieve those goals the next time.

It’s difficult to remain motivated during this time, but it’s not impossible. Follow these tips to boost productivity and make learning from home fun!