We all have heard about how the pandemic has affected schooling and education around us. In less than a few weeks, many students have experienced the quick transition from face-to-face classes to virtual schooling. This quick transition has led to a lot of positive and negative effects, with some saying that they benefited from online school due to the flexibility it provides, and others saying that they didn’t enjoy the minimal face-to-face interaction.
Since some post-secondary institutions around the world are still holding most of their classes online, students who are recently entering college or university may be confused about the logistics behind online classes.
Well fear not – online school is not as intimidating as it sounds. Sure, you may be in a different setting with various grading standards, but you’ll definitely get used to the changes before you know it. Want to know more tips? Here are some below:
9 Tips For Taking Classes Online
1) Schedule your courses to ensure you have breaks between each class.
Regardless if your class is online or not, breaks are important for recharging your energy and absorbing the information you gathered in the course. Perhaps you can use the one hour between classes to play a sport, walk around the community, or explore the city. After all, research shows that short breaks can improve students’ motivation and concentration during class.
2) Try to keep your phone away during class.
Since no one is watching you during online school, grabbing your phone and surfing social media feels way more tempting. But how can you avoid the urge? The easiest answer is to put your phone away in another place. Sure, it’s harder than it sounds, but you’ll be able to absorb the course material easily, and study way more effectively. Better be safe than sorry.
3) Attempt to schedule virtual sessions with your instructors.
Attending online classes definitely makes it harder to understand course material. If you feel like your instructor isn’t giving enough instructions on your assignment, you can easily email them and ask to book a 15 to 30-minute appointment. You can then ask your questions as the instructor can clarify your concerns. Moreover, you may be able to obtain a better mark in your assignment.
4) Join class group chats as much as possible.
We all know that communicating with classmates online or getting in touch with them isn’t a simple task. However, joining a group chat is a solution to the virtual communication headache. You will not only be able to discuss course material together, but you can also message your other classmates easily via a private chat. As a result, you may be able to make friends from your group chat.
5) Keep track and organize your assignments and other documents.
As you’ve guessed, most of the documents which you’ll receive during online courses will be in an electronic mode. Therefore, you can either choose to print out the documents and save them in a binder, or organize the documents into different files on the computer. This step is extremely important when keeping track of deadlines and other instructions for assignments. After all, you don’t want to lose a few marks.
6) Continue to utilize the resources provided by the school.
It may be difficult to know the resources which the school provides during online courses. However, these resources and events are usually promoted on the school’s social media accounts, and may be stated on the website. Usually, the school’s student union may also provide external support which includes tutoring, de-stressing events, and food banks. Therefore, you can utilize the resources in order to enjoy your post-secondary experience.
7) Finding an on-campus job will not be that complicated.
If you’re looking to participate more within the school community or meet people from different programs, finding an on-campus job may be the best answer. Although it may seem difficult at first due to the pandemic, many positions are still available for students. For example, you may want to apply to be a mentor for new students, or work for the school newspaper. In fact, there may be some essential or work from home jobs as well for students. You never know what will happen until you give it a try.
8) You will gain many skills required for today’s working world.
Sure, you may not be able to gain the face-to-face interaction which other students have experienced. But you will definitely be able to pick up on many different skills, including working with online software, self-directed learning, motivation, and adaptation. These are skills that employers are looking for, especially since plenty of jobs are now requiring employees to work from home.
9) Your college experience is still worth it.
Even if your first semester or year occurred primarily online, you will still be able to experience many events and meet friends from all over the world. After all, once the pandemic ends, you may be able to plan a mini reunion. But regardless, you’ll learn more than you imagined and graduate from your program as a thoughtful and innovative leader.
Taking classes online has its challenges, but there are many benefits too. These are just nine things you need to remember to be prepared for online classes!
About the Author
Candice is currently attending school for social service work. One of her passions is helping others through my writing. In her downtime, you'll find her listening to music, watching random YouTube videos, and writing about career goals and resumes. She hopes to start freelancing for writing and obtain a leadership position in a public services sector.