Tips for Succeeding in Online Classes
By Grace McGowan
As we all know, Villanova and many other universities have moved classes online due to concern over COVID-19. This rapid adjustment is leaving students with little time to move out of dorms, readjust to life off campus, and prepare for the new online class format. For many students, this will be the first time that they’ve taken courses completely online. The flexibility of online courses is great, but that also brings increased responsibility and accountability. Online classes require a different kind of planning, time management, and overall maturity. Especially if your lectures are recorded instead of live, it’s up to you to direct your time and effort. Here are six tips to succeed in your online classes.
1. Plan your schedule ahead of time
Planning ahead is essential for online courses. Try sitting down every Sunday to plan your week. Even if you’re making estimates, set times that you will watch the weekly lectures, do your assignments, and take breaks. This will help you see how much work time you’ll need and how much free time you’ll have. Planning your schedule will help you avoid forgetting about an assignment or, worse, putting everything off and then trying to learn all the material right before your next test.
2. Treat your weekdays like workdays
One planning strategy is to treat school like a 9 to 5 job. While you probably don’t have 8 hours of school work to do each day, it can be helpful to set aside a block of time each day to watch lectures and do homework. This can simplify the planning process, and you’re ensuring that you’ll do at least some work every weekday. Holding yourself accountable is a big part of online learning, and dedicating a block of time each day to your classes will keep you on track.
3. Work in a quiet, dedicated study space
It can be helpful to designate one place as your study space, whether it’s your kitchen table, your local library, or even your bed, if that works for you. Having one place for studying will help you be productive when you’re there and let you relax when you’re elsewhere. It might be tempting to do all your work at coffee shops (it is for me) or in your family room, but if those spaces are noisy and distracting, you won’t be very productive. Additionally, if you’re watching live lectures, you might be a distraction to others, both in the online class and in the physical space you’re doing work in. Make sure your study space is quiet and distraction free!
4. Put your phone away and stay engaged
One of the huge temptations of online class can be to spend your time on your phone, even if you have the lecture playing. It’s easy to do so, but you won’t really learn anything that way, and you’ll end up cramming before a test. Consider turning your phone and computer on “do not disturb” before you watch online lectures. Maybe put your phone somewhere else in the room. The important thing is to hold yourself accountable. Make sure that you’re actually engaged during lectures so that you don’t have to take more time to relearn things later. Participating during class is a great way to demonstrate engagement and keep yourself from zoning out or reaching for your phone.
5. Stay in touch with your professors and classmates
It can be difficult to get help for online classes. You can’t ask the person sitting next to you to explain a concept, and you can’t go to office hours. However, this doesn’t mean that you’re on your own. You can start a GroupMe for your class where everyone can ask questions and share insights. You can also email your professors with questions, or you can set up a Skype call with them to get extra help. Reaching out to professors or classmates in this context can feel difficult or awkward, but don’t let those feelings get in the way of asking for help when you need it. You don’t have to teach yourself everything if you’re struggling with concepts or even with the online format itself — ask for help!
6. Use the online format to your benefit
Online classes allow you to be incredibly flexible with your time, which is great. While you do need to have responsibility, use the freedom of online classes to your advantage. If your morning class is using recorded lectures and you like to work out in the mornings, then go work out in the mornings and choose another time to watch those lectures. This is a rare opportunity to practice setting your schedule the way you’d like it. But remember not to push things too far. If you manage your time well, you’ll succeed in this new online class format.
