Online Learning Tips
FUN FACT: I have a master’s degree in criminal justice, and I earned this degree completely online.
With basically all schools going to online learning, I thought it would be a good idea to post some online learning tips that helped me be successful in earning my masters.
Schedule When You Will Do Everything
The brain needs structure, especially if you have ADHD. So as soon as you learn what you have to do and by when you have to do it, write down when you are going to do it. My online courses gave me a week’s worth of assignments at once. I would break down what I would do for each class each day. By doing this, I spread out my work and made it clear what I needed to do.
Now, I realize many schools might be giving you one day’s worth of work at a time. The same principle applies. In the morning, decide when you are going to do each assignment. At the very least, decide in what order you will do it.
Work at Your Own Pace
I remember, in the fifth grade, being so bored during math class because I would get what we were doing much quicker than my classmates. However, our teacher would give us the assignment when everyone was comfortable with the material. That would leave me sitting there waiting for the other kids to get it and feeling mighty bored. When I started taking online classes, I was free to spend as much or as little time on subjects as I needed. Do you only need twenty minutes for one class and an hour and a half for another? Take that time as you need it. There is no need to spend the same amount of time on everything.
Communicate with Your Instructors
One of the most important things you can do is communicate with your instructors. When you have even the slightest bit of confusion on what you need to do, email your teacher. It is even okay with larger projects to ask if you are on the right track before you get too far into the project. You won’t annoy your teacher; you will be showing them you take an active role in your education.
Your Class’ Resources Aren’t the Only Resources
One of the things I would do when I was stuck on an assignment was to look for other resources online. The internet has lots of resources, especially on YouTube. There are other scholarly articles than the ones you have been given. There are other videos explaining X, Y, and/or Z. Take advantage of all the available resources, not just the ones your teachers give you.
Remember: Your Teachers Are in the Same Boat
Is adjusting to online learning difficult for you? That is okay. Your teachers are adjusting to this as well. Even if they have experience teaching online, they are not used to the volume of online students they now have. Both you and your teacher are adjusting to this new situation. The challenges of online learning apply to both you and your instructors. They, too, are figuring out how to make this work.
Work How You Work Best
You now have the ability to work however you want. Would you get in trouble for lying down to your homework in school? Absolutely! Can you choose your homework posture at home? Absolutely!
Besides posture, you have the ability to control your working environment, Work in any room you want. You can work alone or in the same room as family members who are also working from home. Play music or work in silence.
Work at the most appropriate time. Do you have trouble in early morning classes? Work later in the day. If you are more productive in the morning, don’t sleep in. Get up early and get to work.
The most important thing is to figure out what your brain needs to be successful. Pay attention to what you instinctually want to do to be productive. Experimentation may be necessary to help you figure out how you work best. Coaching can also help you learn what your brain needs to be successful.