During COVID restrictions, GCC has taken steps to provide students with a quality online education; however, many students find it difficult to stay organized when learning must be self-motivated. Students are enjoying working from the comfort of home but it comes with procrastination, distractions, and the constant, overwhelming desire to make a snack.
The first thing students who learn online should do in order to stay organized is create a schedule. There are many ways to do this; I personally favor a bound planner, but many enjoy bullet journaling, wall calendars, or online trackers such as Google calendar. All of these methods will work. The important thing is that students can record due dates manually and see what their time-space looks like visually.
Secondly, a successful online learner will plan for how much time an assignment, lecture, or reading will take. Some teachers will provide their own estimates, like in JRN203, but everyone learns differently. It is important to practice making one’s own estimates. With due dates marked in their schedule, a student can then begin to fit in where time to work on assignments will go. Setting aside specific times for work is like going to class; it will reframe the time as “work time” and keep distractions at bay.
Finally, students should make sure to have snacks at the ready. I know that if I don’t have a constant stream of snacks, it can be very difficult to focus on work. If I interrupt work to cook something, it turns into more of a meal. I find that modular, easily accessible foods are the most effective: saltine crackers, chocolate chips, and dried fruits are my personal preferences, but everyone has different tastes. A snack can give you a boost of energy to help motivate your work, or be a reward for a job well done.
This article has some great helping points to people that have a challenging time getting and staying organized. Putting schedules and important reminders on a calendar is a fantastic way to stay organized especially when you have it in multiple locations.
Having prepared snacks and even meals is a wonderful time saver and helps to stay on task and not get distracted to the point of no return.
Another great tip to add is having a comfortable and dedicated space for when you are working on classes. If you are not in a good space it is more likely to want to stop and get up and become distracted or wanting to stop altogether.
These types of articles are such a valuable resource for people looking for help and advice!
Julia I needed this article today. I have such a hard time around focusing and scheduling schoolwork.
These tips are definitely going into my back pocket for when it comes time to work on homework. I have to admit, I am someone who makes a calendar to organize my day but never sticks to it! My attention span is insanely short and I constantly find myself reaching for my phone.
Bullet journaling seems like fun and is very aesthetically pleasing, so maybe if I take time to do that I will be more inclined to stick to my schedule!
I also do appreciate that certain instructors mark how much time an assignment will take. This is honestly the first class I’ve ever taken that has done it, but it is really helpful in planning my day. If I work I know that the assignment is just long enough that I can finish it after before midnight or that I need to do it before I work. That makes a huge difference.
Snacks are always a bonus! I’ve been on a big Matcha tea kick lately and it has just the right amount of flavor and sweetness to keep me motivated and sipping at my desk. It’s no espresso buzz but it’s something!
Hi Julia, Great article! There’s a huge difference between in-person and online learning, and it’s so important to prepared with tips like these to succeed. Not having that in-person experience really leaves a lot on the student in terms of making sure they’re covering everything they need to be successful in a course. The bound planner is a great suggestion for staying organized. I try to work a day or two ahead of my due dates off a running itemized list of tasks that I updated a couple of times a week. I agree snacks are super important! I always try to cook things in the evenings that will yield leftovers so there always something quick I can grab in the middle of a busy day. I’ll be sure to pass this article along to any of my classmates who might benefit from these tips.