How to Cope With Online Learning
There is no denying it: new challenges continue to arise as CU affiliates progress into the Fall 2020 semester. For educational faculty, maintaining engaging and supportive learning environments may be proving difficult. For custodians and campus employees, keeping all the facilities clean and safe is an immense task. And for students, there are still pressures of adapting to and performing well in this online learning environment. As a student myself, I understand these pressures all too well. With that in mind, below are some tips that I have found personally useful for conquering online learning.
Stay proactive
Odds are, if one’s classes occur solely through Zoom, there is little need to leave home. Such conditions can be a procrastinator’s playground. There are so many more “fun” things to do at home than attend class and do homework (binging Netflix, conversing with roommates, cooking, napping, etc.). To counteract these distractions, it is important to stay academically focused and proactive. I personally find it useful to create a brief list of all the academic tasks I need to get done for the day; I stick to it, and allow myself to do other activities only after the tasks are done. I also recommend taking thorough notes during classes, as this can motivate one to stay involved in lectures and complete related assignments on time.
Focus on Time Management
A follow-up to being proactive is to focus on time management. When it comes to larger assignments or copious amounts of homework, managing one’s time can stave off feeling “burned-out” at the end of the day. Allocating parts of the day to catch up on schoolwork is extremely effective, especially when one incorporates a few breaks every now and then. I prefer getting most of my schoolwork done in the morning because it alleviates any academic pressures for the rest of the day. I also take one or two short breaks to divide this study session; enough time to grab a snack or decompress for a moment. I also find it helpful to divide my attention. I start by completing the most important and tedious tasks first, and working my way down to the more minor ones. Don’t get me wrong, time management is no easy practice. It takes a lot of self-discipline, but will extinguish some of the extra burdens of online learning.
Socialize & be active
For many college students, one of the most difficult aspects of online learning is the lack of in-person socialization. Yet it remains true that most people need some degree of socialization to maintain psychologically and emotionally healthy. Therefore, it is important to reunite with friends and family every now and then and communicate freely. Even now, when most of us if cannot meet face-to-face, it is worth using Zoom or Skype as a means of communication. They may not be the greatest alternatives, however, they still make it possible for you to revisit relationships with ease.
Along with staying sociable, I suggest being physically active. Enjoying the outdoors (through hikes, bouldering, etc.) is always an option here in Boulder, and it is a great antidote for feelings of unease and “cabin fever”. If the pressures of online learning get too high, you can also turn to things like road trips and backpacking to help you unplug. A number of similar activities can be mental “escapes” to help you put your life into perspective. These may be tumultuous times, but nothing that you cannot overcome. So hold steady and weather this storm!
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