Online school… Love it or hate it, it’s been a massive topic of discussion for many students across the globe who have to deal with it. As a first-year student working through my undergrad, I’ve had to do the vast majority of my classes online (so far). While I’ve had the opportunity to have a few of my classes in-person, online class is something I face every day. While it’s certainly not how I had previously envisioned my undergraduate studies, I’ve come to accept online learning, to some extent. After all, my last couple years of high school were also spent largely online–so not much of a change there!
Eons ago when it was announced by governments worldwide that schools would be shifting to online learning, I wasn’t pleased (to say the least). School had always been a major part of my life and had given me a sense of routine while also getting me active and out of the house. Not to mention, I loved my teachers and the class content. At first glance, a shift to online for me meant the elimination of all of those wonderful parts of my life as a student.
Needless to say, the next few years of online school were a huge adjustment for me. Fewer classroom interactions left many, myself included, feeling a bit lonely. Additionally, online school at times just felt far less engaging, and I began to feel more and more burnt out from the lack of connection and interest in my courses. I knew I needed to change something, especially with my university years right around the corner.
So what did I do? Or I guess I should say, what have I done so far? (Because, in my eyes, there is still so much to be done to adjust to university and all that comes with it). I guess what I can that I’ve done to improve my experience is become much more self-disciplined. With online learning, it can be easy to become unproductive and unmotivated due to, “less of a push” from the people that you’d have around you in a typical learning environment. I’ve also heard from a lot of my peers that because of the lack of interaction within online courses, classes can sometimes be less engaging; a sentiment I can certainly understand. While I can’t provide a surefire solution to combatting those feelings, taking more ownership and accountability of my work as well as disciplining myself with strict deadlines and reminders to work have helped keep me on track. These habits are all easier said than done, and these methods are totally not “one size fits all”, but with hard work and dedication, online learning can be manageable.