More advanced learning opportunities and the availability of online education have made students’ access to education easier. Online education provides academic opportunities to students who live in remote areas where there aren’t many educational institutions available.
Apart from unimpeded access to learning prospects, online education is more affordable, allows you to work alongside your education, and lets you continue your education without compromising on your family engagements.
With all the benefits offered by online education, there is one challenge most students studying online face. Concentrating on your studies and keeping up with your schedule becomes challenging when you opt for a mode of learning other than traditional classroom-based studies.
7 ways to excel in online education
Fortunately, there are ways to excel in your online education. Below are some practical tips recommended for online degree students to excel in your degree program.
1. Change your surroundings
Taking classes from the comfort of your house does not mean staying inside the house all the time. If studying inside the house does not seem productive, go out, find a place in a nearby café, grab a cup and work on your assignments. For some students studying in a park or a coffee shop can shatter the monotony of online classes and help them enjoy learning.
2. Follow a morning routine
Just because you can access your lectures online does not mean you should bypass the discipline needed for studying. There is nothing in an online program that bars you from treating it like a “real” “face-to-face” course.
Online education allows you more flexibility to complete your daily classes, but you can still keep a morning routine. Some degree programs, such as a BSN program online, are more complicated than others. Having a morning routine and dedicating more time to learning these courses can greatly benefit you. Getting up and starting your work early in the morning expands your day making you achieve more within the 24 hours you get.
So, set your alarm to get up early in the morning, shower, and have a healthy breakfast to give momentum to your day. Consider making your bed right after getting up so that it does not tempt you to crawl back in. Try to go about your life as you would with on-campus classes to stay focused and increase your motivation for learning.
3. Stick to your routine
Whether you have a morning or evening routine, you study best in the house or an outdoor setting, make sure to stick to your routine. You won’t get the benefits of even the most effective study schedule if you don’t follow it dedicatedly. Following a routine dedicatedly makes you feel more accomplished when your online school day ends.
4. Hold yourself responsible
You may get a deadline to complete a project but not many reminders. You aren’t attending a traditional classroom; hence, you may not be connecting too much with peers or professors other than when an online session is arranged. Therefore, you must remind yourself to complete your daily lectures and assignments on time. It falls on you to dedicate enough time to each course based on its complexity and to ensure that you are not starting an important assignment at the eleventh hour.
Set short-term (daily and weekly) and long-term (semester-wise) goals and hold yourself accountable for meeting them. If fulfilling the requirements of a course and meeting deadlines on your own is a challenge, pair up with your classmates and become accountability partners for each other.
5. Make your own study space
Dedicating a space for studying and taking online classes is essential for online learners. Even though your bed seems to be the most comfortable place, it is the last spot you must choose for taking online lectures. Your bed is the most unproductive and impractical place because of the temptation to sprawl on it and have your way.
Before selecting a study spot in your house, figure out your learning style. Do you study through course books or rely on online lectures only? If you always use your laptop, choose a spot where you can find an electrical connection for charging your gadgets. Once you figure out your learning style, selecting a study spot in the house becomes easier.
Your study space does not need to be very fancy. But it should be comfortable and have all the essential supplies you need for learning, such as stationery, a table and chair, and a few cushions if you need them. These arrangements will make your working space more functional and suitable for studying.
6. Eliminate distractions from your environment
Distractions in your surroundings can impact your productivity. From social media notifications to the pile of dishes in your kitchen to Netflix reminders, a lot in your surroundings can derail your study plans. Therefore, online students must be mindful of these distractions that can divide their focus.
How powerful these distractions are for you depends on your personality and mental resilience. Some of you might be able to tune out noises from the rest of the house with the help of music. Others might find solace in a library or choose the most isolated corner of their home.
Ultimately, it depends on you to explore a strategy to eliminate distractions that suit your situation and routine. And, regardless of the spot you choose for working, turn off your phone to prevent losing focus every time a new notification appears.
7. Stock up on some healthy snacks
One of the perks of remote learning is that there is a lesser chance of skipping food which often happens when you attend university every day. However, if eating snacks means making rounds to the kitchen every 15 minutes, this perk becomes a distraction. Stocking up enough snacks in your room is a quick solution for a drop in energy. It also prevents you from leaving your space frequently.
Many students ignore the health and nutritional factor of their diet. An unhealthy and improper diet can drop your energy levels and productivity. So, when selecting snacks, ensure they are healthy— neither too fatty nor too sugary.
Conclusion
Whether you are a student who recently registered for an online degree or planning to do so soon, the above tips can help you with your online study. At the same time, you must make an effort to treat your online degree like an on-campus course, work hard, study well with dedication and act responsibly.
