In the wake of Coronavirus, colleges and schools around the world shifted to distant learning through online classes and video lectures. Universities around the globe have said that they won’t bring in students back to campuses before its completely safe to do so. Some universities are expected to stay closed even in the year 2021.
The situation has led the students to depend entirely on distant learning. Most of the students are still adapting to this way of learning and having their fair share of issues. Although the love-hate relationship of students with their colleges and universities was always there, Coronavirus has taught us how we shouldn’t take things for granted. While distance learning is working for few students, most are still lost.
Learning from home isn’t easy, especially when the whole family is at home: your siblings, parents, the cat, or dog that you own and whatnot. Staying focused on attending a lecture from home can be quite a challenge. Continue reading this article if you are looking for ways to stay focused while perusing remote learning.
How to Adapt for Distant Learning
For students sitting at home and not being able to interact with friends every day is very challenging. Going to school/college isn’t all about curriculum and studies, rather the interactions, sports, school groups, and several other activities are all a part of a well-rounded education.
Now that we are all unsure of when things are getting back to normal, we need to adapt to the new normal. We have gathered a few ways that can help you adjust to the new normal and effectively attend your online classes from your home:
1. Create an Appropriate Atmosphere
Yes, it is easy to take classes from bed or from your living room while looking at the TV, but you should realize that it will affect your concentration levels, and hence you won’t be able to make the most out of your class. To concentrate better on your online classes and lectures, it is important that you focus on your atmosphere and surroundings.
Keep a separate desk and chair in your room where you can peacefully sit and focus on your lectures. This will keep you focused and concentrated on the audio/ video lecture that you are attending. Minimizing the main sources of distraction at home can help you stay more focused.
For most of us the most common sources of distractions are:
- Texts
- Social media notifications
- TV shows
- Siblings
- Pets
Creating a distraction-free zone and putting your phone away while attending online lectures can help you stay focused.
2. Dress up
Ask yourself, would you go to your school/college in the dress that you are taking your online class in? If not, then get up and change your dress before you start your lectures. Dressing up has an impact on our mind and how we feel. If you continue to take lectures in your night suit or comfort clothes, chances are you are still in a lazy and sleepy mood.
Strange fact, dressing up can increase your productivity and make you feel fresh as well as active. We have had a habit of dressing up every day before heading out, but ever since lockdown, people have stopped paying attention to their attire. Don’t fall victim to this curse, dressing up to look the part still holds some weight.
Dressing up before your online lectures start can energize your brain and help you form the mindset required to focus on your lecture and do well.
3. Time Management
Time management is essential in remote learning. Just because we are at home doesn’t mean we don’t need a routine. Set a daily routine, which must include your lecturing, assignments, healthcare activities, food, and leisure to help you get organized and hence focused.
You can create a timetable for yourself and use an app or simple phone reminders for that purpose. Put up your timings and how you want to distribute the time depending upon the activities you want to do in a day.
4. Communication and Collaboration
One of the biggest issues faced in distant learning is the lack of communication due to the lack of physical interaction. While learning from a distance, you must focus on how you can communicate with your teachers as well as peers.
If there are group assignments, then make sure you coordinate your timings with your group members to work on your assignment. If there is any issue in the lecture that you couldn’t understand, make sure you connect with your instructor and seek for help. Write an email to your instructor and let them know that you’re looking for help.
As per a Software Development Company, schools and colleges are now focusing more on collaborative tools that are easy to use. Several tools like Google Docs and Slides can help you collaborate with other students and can make your assignments without wasting any time. Simply edit and make your documents online at the same time.
5. Mental Health
While we are all adjusting to the new normal, no human interaction can have a serious impact on our mental health. This is why you need to take care of yourself and engage in several activities other than studies as well.
Remote learning is not all about curriculum; hence it is important to focus on other activities as well. Having video calls with your friends is also one way to interact better with your peers. You can stay connected with your friends via phone, messaging, video calls, or social media.
You should also focus on physical activity to keep your mental as well as physical health in place. Follow YouTube tutorials to exercise at home or go for cycling early morning to have a fresh mind. Having good health is extremely important for you to perform well in your studies.
To Sum It Up
If you have never experienced distant learning before, then it is certain that you will face some challenges initially. It’s not easy, but it’s manageable as long as you are focused and determined to stay focused and manage a routine.
Having a laid-back attitude can cause you a lot of issues, and you might waste a lot of your precious time while achieving nothing. Sitting in front of your laptop isn’t enough, rather there is much more to distance learning that you need to learn and practice.
Arslan Hassan is an electrical engineer with a passion for writing, designing, and anything tech-related. His educational background in the technical field has given him the edge to write on many topics. He occasionally writes blog articles for Dynamologic Solutions.
