After COVID-19, I hoped I would be done with 100% online classes, but I knew deep down that wasn’t going to go my way. I’ve always had a hard time with online classes and work; I don’t feel like I can keep myself focused long enough.
Since coming to Drake, I have taken a few online classes and am currently enrolled in two. I’ve had a lot of difficulty with online classes in the past, so these are some of the ways I’ve conquered the procrastination that online classes create.
Get out of your dorm
The main problem I had with online classes at first was that I would always forget about them because there was nowhere I had to be. There’s no classroom to rush off to for a lecture. Instead, there were video lectures and slides to take notes on from wherever I wanted.
At first, I tried working in my dorm room, but it held too many distractions. Why would I do my online class when I can read that book that’s been on my shelf for ages? Then, I moved on to more open areas like the Olmsted Center Starbucks or the library, but encountered the same problem. Either some of my friends were there and I wanted to chat, or I just couldn’t focus because of the noise, or lack thereof in certain cases.
Finally, I realized that the solution had been staring me in the face all along; if the problem is not having a classroom, then I’d find one myself. When a class isn’t in session, classrooms are open all over campus. There are usually sheets outside the classroom door with schedules for the week, so take a look and find a time that works for you.
If there isn’t a room open when you have time, that’s no reason to throw in the towel; there are study places all over campus that can become your makeshift classroom. Study rooms in Meredith Hall, Collier-Scripps Hall and the Johansen Student Center are all good places to start.
Make the time – literally
I also realized that if I had a classroom, then I’d need a class period. So I went through my calendar and found a special time twice a week for each class, just like a regular in-person one. Blocking out an hour and 15 minutes twice a week can help to keep a more regular schedule for your class, even if it’s online.
Since I have two online classes this semester, I have one “class period” on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Then the other one is early evening, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This has helped me keep up with the class and remember that I’m in it to begin with!
It’s also helpful because my calendar reminds me before my classes start, so I can get there and start working on time.
Treat it like an in-person class
The best piece of advice I could give, however, is this: just because it’s online doesn’t mean it doesn’t count. To some, including myself, online classes seem to always take a back seat to in-person classes. This attitude is what makes online classes harder on you.
Treating it like an in-person class helps to regulate your brain and get you into a better mindset for class. This goes beyond having a set time and place for the class — treat the class assignments the same as you would in an in-person class.
Instead of watching video lectures with headphones on, find a room where you can watch them out loud, as if a professor were lecturing in the room with you.
Taking notes on a separate device than you’re viewing the lecture on — or even on paper — will also help make it easier to focus. By having your lecture playing on your laptop or iPad and taking notes in a notebook, your study spot will feel more like a classroom.
There are so many ways to make online learning easier for yourself, but the key thing to keep in mind is that when you take away the online part, it’s still a class. Not only will the grade show up on your transcript, but you can learn just as much in an online class as you can in-person. Isn’t that why we’re here?
