I used to take online classes through my community college before I came to Wells. When I was considering online, the first thing my community college told me was that it was going to be HARD. I only took one class at a time while I attempted to figure out my academic career. Even though I had never taken a full course load online, I didn’t struggle as much as I thought I would.
So, here are some tips on how you can survive your classes online–no matter how many classes you are taking.
- BREATHE
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I know it seems super overwhelming right now but the first thing you need is to take a step back and breathe. Give yourself some mental space before you try to tackle all the things on your list. Relax because you got this.
- MAKE A ROUTINE
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This is the most crucial part to online classes. Since I was homeschooled my whole life and took a lot of online college classes, I’ve been familiar with self-teaching and establishing my own schedule. It’s definitely not easy and you have to figure out what works best for you… But it works great once you’ve figured it out! You just need to be kind to yourself.
When I was doing online classes, I made sure to do all my work first thing in the morning/afternoon. Thus, leaving all my evenings wide open so I didn’t have to worry about staying up late to finish assignments. It worked well for me because I don’t stay up that late. It also inspired me to wake up in the morning, knowing I had something to get done.
- TAKE BREAKS
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Dude, before I even established a routine/schedule for myself… I felt like I was doing homework 25/8. That’s because I never scheduled breaks for myself! And I procrastinated a lot by taking longer on assignments than necessary. (Curse you, Pinterest!)
So it’s important to make sure you get breaks. What helps is setting a timer and working in 30 minute sprints (or whatever time works best for you) and after that set time, get up and move around. Go grab a snack or go on your phone in a different area of the house.
Basically, treat yourself. Know when to reward yourself for doing your work. It’s important to do so you don’t experience burn out.
- GO FOR WALKS
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Y’all, this is so important. One time I was taking two online classes and working on a book so I felt like I never left the comfy recliner in my family room. I feel like it’s why my back bothers me now and then?? So yeah. Good seating is essential but also getting up and moving around is very important. Going for a walk will make you feel refreshed and more productive.
- CHECK YOUR EMAIL AND ONLINE CLASSROOMS
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Even if you’re not doing any homework, always check up on what’s going on. It’s easy to lose track of all your assignments or what is going on class wise, so make sure you regularly check your email and Moodle (or whatever database you are using) to be in the know. This has helped me so much while taking online classes because it makes me feel like I’m in control.
- KEEP IN CONTACT WITH YOUR PROFESSORS
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If you need help or just want to chat… Contact your professors. Don’t feel stupid if you have a question. They like to hear from you, and you will feel so much better knowing there is someone you can rely on through your online learning experience.
You can also contact your classmates. I made a couple friends via my online classes because none of us knew what the heck was going on. So, yeah. Don’t be afraid to reach out. ;)
- HAVE A TO-DO LIST
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I use Google Calendar/Google Task to keep track of all my assignments. It’s nice to visually see what you have to do and what you have gotten done so far. So, keeping a to-do list might help keep you ahead of the game.
If you ever feel overwhelmed, just send me an email and we can chat about it! You are not alone and YOU GOT THIS. Stay safe and healthy, my dudes.
xx Kenzie