How to Survive Online Classes and Get A's
Due to Covid-19 a lot of colleges have decided to do online classes, because of this many of us have to learn how to make learning from home work for us.
I remember when classes went online for the remainder of the spring semester there were a lot of learning curves.
After taking over 6 of my courses online, through trial and error I’ve learned what works to help you feel motivated even when your bedroom is now your office/general living space and how to feel productive when you don’t have anywhere to go.
It is possible to still have a full and well-rounded life while taking online classes, it just requires a little more adjustment on your part.
I’m going to share 8 ways that helped me to manage online classes and working from home full time and how I was able to not only get through it but manage to enjoy it.
Set up your google calendar with all the dates
How I set up my google calendar for online classes
This is the first thing you need to do if you are transitioning to online classes or working from home. Its almost guaranteed that your schedule will be moved around in some fashion and you’ll need to keep track of that if you want to create separation in your day.
I would recommend taking notes of events that are no longer on the calendar, dates that have moved, new virtual events that are coming up, and also general notes on how each class will be structured. You need to know if all meeting/class times are live or can you watch them whenever? Make special note of anything you need to be in attendance for live so you don’t miss it.
Use one notebook for notes
Usually, in college, I wouldn’t recommend using one notebook for all your classes simply because occasionally you’ll have some professors who will collect class notes or assignments in your notebook. But for the special circumstance of online classes it will be ideal to consolidate your notes in one book so that you can have all the information you need at any given time.
You should get a notebook with enough space for all of your classes and make sure it is clearly organized for which class each section is. Not only will this reduce the clutter in your work from home office but it will allow you to be able to revise your notes easier at the end of the day without a hassle.
Go to bed early
This tip is absolutely crucial!
Take it from me when I first started online classes it felt like I was still on summer break mode so my sleep schedule was all out of wack. I would go to be late and wake up at almost noon. Don’t be like me!
That changed when I decided that I needed more structure to my day so I made sure I was asleep before midnight. Doing this helped me to start getting up earlier and using the time I had before my online classes to get homework done and even workout.
This is a cornerstone habit that will help you build other healthy habits meaning by making that one change you will be able to gain control over your time and efforts.
Set up “outside” breaks
I started doing this when I would realize I would only step outside once a week to go get food from the grocery store. Just because you’re doing work inside doesn’t mean you have to stay in the same place all day! If you do that it’s much more likely that you’ll start to feel down and demotivated.
I would recommend switching up workspaces occasionally (if you have the room) or even doing work outside sometimes.
Most importantly you need to also take some screen breaks outside, whether that means going to a nearby park during your downtime, just going to your backyard or balcony. You might not realize it but the sun is necessary to your mental health so make intentional time to step away from your screens and get some fresh air.
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Create an optimized work from home space
I’m sure many of us have made the mistake of thinking that wherever you are with your computer can be a “work from home” space, well I would heavily disagree.
Having an optimized work from home space can be a game-changer for your productivity.
Create some sort of space in your home where all the essentials you need to get work done like your stationery supplies, a physical calendar or even a clock or desktop set up can make you feel much more official and also at ease knowing you won’t have to stop your workflow because you need something and it’s not in reach.
I have another blog post on how I created my work from home space for less than $100 if you want to check it out.
Keep in touch with people from your classes
College is much more than the relationship you have with your professors but your relationship with your peers is just as, if not more important.
When it comes to navigating changing schedules and keeping up with course work, keeping in touch with people in your class will be essential. It can simply be by volunteering to create a class group chat or GroupMe or even getting the email of someone you know so you can reach out to them if you have a question.
Trust me, if you don’t keep up with people it will be much harder to navigate classes and you’ll feel like you’re doing it all on your own. Just because you’re not in a physical space as everyone doesn’t mean there aren’t students who are learning to navigate this situation just like you are.
Use online campus resources
This is important if you want to be successful in your online courses. Being online means it will be a tad bit harder to get everything you need for your classes but there are still campus resources that will be helpful such as your campus library, which probably has everything from ebook, textbook, and other digital materials that you can still borrow.
Campuses career offices and counselors are still open as well for virtual meetings. Take advantage of all the resources that are still available and make use of all the support you can get so you don't have to navigate this alone.
I also have a list over 30 online college resources that you should check out!
Get dressed for classes
This might seem silly to do if you’re just going to be in the house all day but trust me it can make a big difference.
If you just get up for classes in the morning and you don’t get ready and just hop on zoom your brain is still going to be in comfy mode which makes it much more likely that you’ll be drowsy in class or even go back to bed as soon as your class ends.
That won’t help you to do any work you may need to do before or after your classes. For every day that you have class you need to do a routine just as you would if you were going to classes in person.
This means you need to get up have breakfast, take a shower, do your hair, and find something suitable to wear. This isn’t for the people in your class but rather it’s so your brain can recognize that your switching from comfortable more to work mode.
So there are my tried and true tips for online courses! For those of us who prefer in-person classes to online ones, this might be temporary but we can still make the best of it and try to stay as productive and healthy as possible.
Let me know some of your own favorite work from home tips!
