The main upside to online classes is that it gives students the ability to manage other responsibilities outside of school with ease. However with this added component, students will now need to find a balance between their lives outside of school and their online school work. Students will attain this balance from clearing their mind and understanding school comes first.
Some ways to stay on top of things include setting an early morning alarm and taking showers to wake themselves up and get online regardless of class schedule. It’s necessary to do a rundown on each class to understand what is required for each course, this is beneficial because students will be less likely to forget about an assignment and they can stay on top of all the updates the instructors may have for the course.
Junior science major Emily Vasquez said, “Having your phone not in reaching distance especially when in zooms helps me a lot since being on your phone is distracting and takes your attention away from your learning.”
Moreover, junior communication major Anna Maida said, “I stay motivated by getting into a routine. Setting an alarm to wake up early has helped me. Along with using my planner. I bought a cute one it makes me motivated to use it. I also stay motivated by talking to my friends about remote learning and realizing we’re all in this together.”
Staying engaged in online courses can become difficult as workloads increase,. However there are strategies that students can apply to their everyday life to keep focus throughout the semester.
Dorothy Cleary, director of student services, suggests, “When trying to accomplish anything, setting goals, especially SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely) goals, it is important to try to set small, attainable goals for each class. Writing them down on colorful sticky notes and putting them on a monthly calendar will help make it seem less overwhelming and gives you a feeling of accomplishment when you reach that goal. Success breeds success. Other tips include logging in each week, communicate with your professors, and ask for help when needed. Finally, use a scheduling frame sheet to block off times for class, study, gym, anything that you want to do regularly that brings balance into your life.”
It is also important for students to acknowledge why they are in school and how an education can be rewarding to their life considering the information taught in a course is potentially valuable information for students’ careers.
Additionally, it is vital that students remain realistic with their school work schedule, set a comfortably capable goal for the amount of work desired to be done that day. Attempting to do all the work possible will ensue burnout, and as a result they will easily become unmotivated and uninterested.
Having the energy to get the work done is needed for students to get quality work complete which is why it is important that diet is also a priority that students should adopt. A quality diet will give students the energy to attentively pay attention in those lengthy zoom classes. Eating a healthy breakfast in the morning after a shower will allow students to not only wake up but gain the energy they need to feel motivated and get on their long zoom meetings. The practice of knowing the purpose of being in school will give students the push to keep the same energy from start to finish and own the semester.
It is important to acknowledge that every student is experiencing similar challenges with learning virtually and there are a plethora of academic resources available to help students succeed. Although this year has been everchanging and volatile, it has tested everyone’s endurance and ability to succeed under hostile times.
Painter Leonardo da Vinci once said, “It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them, they went out and happened to things.”
IMAGE COURTESY OF Monmouth University
PHOTO TAKEN by Melissa Badamo
