Here we can see, “Online Studying: 65 Tips and Tricks to Help You Learn Productively”
It can be not easy to stay motivated when learning online. This guidance will help you stay on track.
While online learning offers numerous advantages, such as not having to rush (no pun intended) to class on campus every morning and being able to watch lectures on your own time, it is not without its drawbacks.
It’s challenging to stay motivated, concentrated, and even physically and mentally healthy when studying online from your dorm room or home. So, to assist you in being more effective in your online studies and maintaining a more satisfying study-life balance, we’ve produced this cheat sheet with online studying recommendations. We hope it is useful!
How to Learn Productively When Studying Online
| # | Tip |
|---|---|
| Optimize Your Study Space | |
| 1 | Create a dedicated study space if possible, preferably somewhere quiet and with natural light. |
| 2 | Don’t study on your bed. |
| 3 | Stand while you study by either using a standing desk or by placing your computer on top of books. |
| 4 | Add greenery to your desk space. |
| 5 | Burn the same scented candle or diffuse the same essential oil during each study session to let your body know it’s time to focus. |
| 6 | Change your desktop background to something inspiring, like a motivational quote. |
| 7 | Keep a water bottle on your desk. |
| 8 | If using a laptop, invest in a monitor, keyboard, and mouse to reduce neck strain. |
| 9 | Occasionally study in a coffee shop or your campus library. |
| Get Organized | |
| 10 | Clean your desktop of excess folders. |
| 11 | Create digital folders for each class’ documents. |
| 12 | Sync your desktop with Google Drive or OneDrive to access your documents from any computer on campus. |
| 13 | Keep your notes in one place, either in an app, digital folder, or physical notebook. |
| 14 | Create browser tabs for frequently visited sites like your class homepages. |
| 15 | Use Google Docs for collaborative group projects. |
| 16 | Get the contact info of at least one classmate in each of your classes. |
| 17 | Create your own Spotify study playlist of your favorite instrumentals. |
| Remove Distractions | |
| 18 | Use an ad-blocker browser extension. |
| 19 | Use a website-blocker browser extension to block distracting websites. |
| 20 | Enable Do Not Disturb mode on your phone and computer. |
| 21 | Use a focus smartphone app like Forest (also a browser extension). |
| 22 | Keep your phone in a different room during study sessions. |
| 23 | Close browser tabs when you’re finished with them to reduce visual clutter. |
| 24 | Wear a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. |
| 25 | Listen to nature sounds or instrumental focus music. |
| 26 | Wear a hoodie over your head so that you don’t get distracted by things in your peripheral vision. |
| 27 | Don’t watch TV while studying. |
| 28 | Check email or text messages only twice during the workday. |
| Study Smartly | |
| 29 | Read the class material. |
| 30 | Discuss readings with classmates. |
| 31 | Use spaced repetition by reviewing your notes, flashcards, and study guides over several weeks or days. |
| 32 | Use active recall by quizzing yourself on the material. |
| 33 | Use digital flashcards like Anki or Quizlet. |
| 34 | If you can still comprehend your professor, bump up online lectures to 2x speed if possible. |
| 35 | Handwrite notes during lectures, then retype them into a digital document as review. |
| 36 | Use the Cornell note taking system. |
| 37 | Dress in clothes you’d wear to class to trick your mind into getting focused. |
| 38 | Occasionally reward yourself for your hard work. |
| 39 | Rent digital textbooks to save money. |
| 40 | Turn your camera on during Zoom lectures to encourage you to stay present and focused. |
| Manage Your Time Well | |
| 41 | Use a Google Calendar or a monthly physical calendar to plan out important assignment due dates in one place. |
| 42 | Make a to-do list every day, starring one item that absolutely must get done that day. |
| 43 | Complete the most difficult or pressing task first. |
| 44 | Remember Parkinson’s Law: “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” |
| 45 | Use the Pomodoro Technique: 25 minutes of focused work followed by five minutes of rest. |
| 46 | Use calendar-blocking to plan out when exactly to study what subjects during the day. |
| 47 | Use calendar-blocking to schedule breaks as well! |
| 48 | Learn to say no to commitments that will eat into your study time. |
| 49 | Prioritize assignments that have a significant impact on your overall grade. |
| Stay Healthy | |
| 50 | Do a brief exercise during short breaks (pushups, pull-ups, jump rope, jumping jacks, etc.) |
| 51 | Go for a run, walk, or bike ride on a longer break. |
| 52 | Meditate. |
| 53 | Eat healthy snacks like fruits, nuts, and smoothies during study sessions. |
| 54 | Get enough sleep (seven to nine hours) each night. |
| 55 | Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. |
| 56 | Wake up to a physical alarm clock rather than your phone. |
| 57 | Stay in touch with friends and family over Zoom. |
| 58 | Take caffeine only when necessary, and never in the evening. |
| 59 | Drink lots of water. |
| 60 | Take up a creative hobby like drawing, painting, cooking, or playing an instrument to alleviate stress and anxiety. |
| Take Advantage of Online Resources | |
| 61 | Have online tutors review your difficult assignments to get a knowledgeable helping hand. |
| 62 | Watch free videos from Khan Academy, Crash Course, and other educational YouTube channels to help you understand course content. |
| 63 | Use SparkNotes or Shmoop to supplement, not substitute for, reading your textbooks. |
| 64 | Use websites like Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica, and Encyclopedia.com to gain a general understanding of difficult concepts. |
| 65 | If you need more coursework, Harvard edX, Stanford Online, Coursera, and Udemy offer several free online courses. |
Strive for a Healthy Study-Life Balance
We hope that this cheat sheet will help you stay focused, motivated, and healthy when studying online. Equally, be aware that productivity suggestions are just as vital as those for staying physically and mentally fit. Don’t overwork yourself to the point of burnout!
If you need to use video conferencing software for your online lessons, there are several things you can do to stay sane: establish a pleasant setting, manage your time properly, and take frequent breaks.
Conclusion
I hope you find this advice to be helpful. Please use the form below if you have any queries or comments.
User Questions:
- How many hours each day should I study?
Every day, you should study: Create a daily schedule to study in one location for at least 4 – 5 hours per day. There are various types and ‘levels of study, which are explained more below. What matters is that study becomes the focal point of your day and a consistent component of your workweek. Do not put off studying till exam time.
- Will four hours of studying suffice?
Most sources recommend that a typical undergraduate college student study at least two hours per week outside of class per unit credit. So, for a four-credit-hour course, this conventional estimate indicates that a typical student spends at least eight hours outside of class each week studying for that subject.
- Will two hours of studying suffice?
According to university consensus, students should spend around 2-3 hours studying for every hour spent in class. For example, if your lesson is an hour-long once a week, you should study the content for at least 2-3 hours per day. According to many experts, the top pupils study between 50 and 60 hours each week.
- How I studied for 6 weeks at 8-9 hours per day
- Good students: How do you go about getting good grades?
Good students: How do you go about getting good grades? [Serious] from AskReddit
