How to Succeed as an Online Learner During a Pandemic

 

It's no surprise that the sudden shift to distance learning during the pandemic has left many students uncertain about their academic futures. For a long time, face-to-face classes have become the norm not until the pandemic disrupted the learning process and forced educators to adopt new teaching practices.

Today, students take advantage of online learning programs to pursue their academic careers amid a global health crisis. Universities and colleges are also keeping up by offering online degree programs to make it easy for learners to earn a degree while balancing family life and work commitments. One example is the online BS Accounting degree designed for students to advance professionally as accountants.

While online learning offers convenience and flexibility, the sudden adoption of this new learning model also comes with challenges. Every learner is unique when it comes to learning styles, but if there's one thing that all of them share, it would be the goal to succeed in school, including online learning. In this article, we'll talk about the strategies on how you can maximize your online learning experience and succeed in your academic journey.

Create a conducive learning environment

The quality of a learning environment is critical to the success of an academic journey. Think of how academic institutions have designed classrooms to ensure a productive learning space for students. But since you're taking a distance learning program, all your classes will take place within an online learning platform.

If you are at home most of the time, it's important to establish a designated study area. The location should be quiet, clean, consistent, and free from outside distractions. This will allow you to focus on your classes and assignments despite the many distractions at home.

Attending online classes and streaming Netflix while slouching from the sofa is a bad place to be if you want to be productive. Instead, choose an area in the house that limits interruptions, both online and physically. It should be away from the television, gaming consoles, and other electronic devices. Also, you have to establish the boundary at home to let your family members know that they cannot disturb you while studying or the classes are going on.

But if your home is less than an ideal place to study, try to experiment with which setting works best for your productivity. It can be the garden, coffee shop, park, or any place with a reliable internet connection to attend classes.

Leverage time management skills

Flexibility is one of the key advantages of online learning, but plenty of freedom poses new challenges. The key is to optimize and structure your time according to your learning style to keep you on track.

Following a study plan is an effective way to stay on top of school work. This will allow you to monitor your tasks and deadlines concerning your existing responsibilities and commitments. The calendar should contain important deadlines, course dates, and a weekly schedule you need to stick with.

Make it a habit to check the syllabus regularly to stay informed about the upcoming lessons, assignments, and workload. This will help you manage time efficiently and distribute your study schedule to your current subjects. Be sure to include extra time for unexpected delays. Don't forget to consider prior commitments (e.g., vacations and family gatherings) that might interfere with your regular study schedule.

When it comes to studying habits, set time limits to ensure study sessions are less daunting but more manageable. To-do lists are also useful, especially if you have several tasks to deal with.

Another tip is to make your schoolwork a part of the weekly routine. Since your teachers and classmates won't always be around to support you, you need to devote extra time to self-studying. Distribute workload by allocating certain hours to studying, reading, watching lectures, and writing assignments every week. Set reminders and don't trust your memory to complete the tasks.

Stay connected with your peers

Just because you're far from your classmates doesn't mean you're all on your own now. Although studying in groups and getting on-the-spot support from your classmates is certainly impossible in these times, making time for virtual interactions will help maintain a sense of community and collaboration.

Your peers are a valuable resource and support when asking for feedback about lectures, assignments, and exam preparations. Create online chat groups so you can always reach out to them, whether for school or casual interactions.

Changes in the learning environment have been difficult for educators and students, but finding ways to make these changes rewarding and worthwhile is important. Whenever you're frustrated or unmotivated, make sure to find the right balance between schoolwork and social interactions. But don't forget to be kind to yourself and enjoy the learning process.