4 Tips for a Successful Online Learning Term

Hi everyone! My name is Charlotte, and I’m a third year SFU student at the Beedie School of Business. This semester, I’m inviting you to join me on a blogging journey full of university hacks and life tips.

Online learning can be very challenging and stressful as we’re constantly surrounded by many distractions around us – our TV, Phone, group chats, and MANY more. So, here are 4 tips I’ve come up with to help you succeed this online semester!

Tip #1: Stay Organized

Staying organized during a global pandemic isn’t easy, I know! My biggest tip for you is to stay organized from the start of the semester and keep a record of your schoolwork throughout the term. Make sure you place your online documents in the appropriate folders and keep your physical documents in a neat file. Also, try to get a planner and use it regularly throughout the semester. This will help you keep track of your current/future tasks. In my opinion, I tend to feel more motivated when I’m organized.

To learn more tips on staying organized, check out this Lifehack article: How to Organize Your Life: 10 Habits of Really Organized People.

Tip #2: Put Away Your Distractions

The most distracting thing for me is my phone. It’s already difficult enough to feel a motivation to study, so having a phone by your side can make it that much harder. For me, it is VERY tempting to look at who messaged me or what’s new on TikTok. But for you, it could be the snack pile in your study space or the PS4 sitting right next to you. My recommendation for you is to put your phone (or other distractions) away, in a different room. This will allow you to focus on your work without having your distractions bother you.

Tip #3: Have a Clean & Proper Workspace

Who here is a messy person? I know I can be that way sometimes. I’ve also been told that a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind. So, my third tip is to make sure you have an appropriate workspace (not your bed!) to watch your pre-recorded/live lectures. Sitting at a clean and tidy desk will make it that much easier to study for your midterms. A neat workspace can also reduce the stress (and wasted time) on searching for things you need for your class/exam.

Tip #4: Make a Schedule

I’ve also realized that online school can trap you into “studying” all day. In reality, you’re just scrolling through Instagram for 30 minutes and then going back to studying for another 30 minutes. This can create an endless cycle where your bad habits make you feel unproductive. That’s why it’s important to schedule your study hours, so you have time to relax or do physical activities. What I like to do is schedule in a 15-to-20-minute yoga class in between my study sessions so I’m able to unwind and take a break from schoolwork.

Well, there you go. I hope those tips will help you through your online semester, and I wish you the best of luck. Keep up the good work, you can do it!