Online classes can be challenging, but these five simple tips can make your experience easier.
BY: JACOB POLITTE
Online Editor
We are living in unprecedented times. Many STLCC classes have been forced to be held online, due to the continuing COVID-19 crisis that first shut down the campuses in March. With many classes continuing to be held online during the fall semester, here are some tips to help students maximize their success in their online courses.
1. Limit your phone and other distractions.
This is the hardest thing for many students to do. We live in a world where we are attached at the hip to our phones, and that’s become especially prevalent since the rise of COVID-19. But in order to succeed at online learning, you have to minimize those distractions. It’s impossible to completely erase them, and it’d be foolish to pretend otherwise. If you can’t focus on your coursework, though, you’re in trouble.
2. Stick to a schedule.
As someone who’s taken plenty of online classes sanctioned by STLCC in the past, I can tell you that one of the biggest hurdles to overcome is time management skills. As a result of my own learning experiences, I can personally attest that setting up scheduled times to get coursework accomplished is a good idea. Procrastination is the enemy.
3. Attend your Professor’s Virtual Lectures and pay attention, and/or read their lecture notes.
Quite a few STLCC professors are delivering live lectures during their previously scheduled class periods on Blackboard Collaborate. Instructors are doing their best to make this unprecedented situation as easy as possible for their students, and are doing all they can to assist you. Attend those lectures, as awkward as they may be. It may feel easy to not pay attention, but doing so is crucial. If your professor provides lecture notes, read them and study them.
4. Make sure to eat and drink.
This seems like a no-brainer, but for some people, it’s possible to be so focused on coursework and forget to stay healthy. It’s OK to eat and drink.
5. Don’t be afraid to take a break.
College is a lot of hard work. It’s a lot of work, period. It’s definitely OK to step away from the computer screen after a period of time. Go on a walk, read a book, or take a nap. Do whatever activity is healthy in order to decompress. College is stressful, and it’s ok to relax when you’re working hard.
