Studying online can be a challenge trust me, I know from experience. In my first year at CQUniversity, I had at least one online course each term. In my second year, my whole degree was online. It can be a tough transition to go from studying on campus (or high school) to strictly online, but I did it and now I find studying and managing my course online is easy. And you have to admit, watching lectures in your pyjamas is a major perk.
If you’re having a difficult time trying to adjust or just want some tips and words of advice keep reading!
Use a wall planner
If you are a visual learner or organiser, wall planners and vision boards are the perfect way to map out your term. Use a wall planner to lay out your assignments and exams and visually see what you have coming up.
You can even get a wall planner through the CQUni Bookshop. You can get a wall planner delivered to you for the postage and handling fee of $5or get one free with any order over $20. If you still have textbooks to purchase or would like to get some cool merchandise, buy them from the Bookshop and receive a free wall planner.
Keep track of your key dates for assessment, events and other essential activities with a wall planner.
Online study dates
It may not be the best time to go out and have a study date with friends either on campus or at a café. However, having someone to study with you will help you keep pace so you don’t find yourself falling behind. Don’t be afraid to reach out through your Moodle unit discussion forum and introduce yourself. Even though we are all practicing social distancing, it does not mean that you can’t talk to people within your unit online.
I would also encourage you to arrange a virtual study date with your friends. Online apps like Facetime, Zoom, Skype and other technologies are created for just that. Why don’t we use them to our advantage now? Social distancing can be confining. Enjoy some fresh air and sunshine when you can. Why not take your laptop outside and have an online study date in your backyard?
Battling procrastination
It is really easy to procrastinate, especially when you are studying from home. You have access to Netflix and other distractions. One day you might get bored and have a spontaneous urge to clean the house or conquer a recipe in the kitchen. However, there are plenty of ways that you can beat procrastination.
1. Study in intervals and take regular breaks.
You might set yourself a goal to study for 45 minutes to an hour and then take a short break for 15 minutes. During this break you might want to move around or make yourself a snack and get a drink.
2. Go to bed early and wake up early
The mornings are usually quiet and still, which help you concentrate. Also, let’s be honest and admit that it feels great when you wake up early and accomplish something!
3. Create a To-Do List
I will happily confess that I am one of those people that creates a day-to-day to-do list. It is quite pleasing to cross things off my agenda. To-do lists also make it seem like my stressful term is organised and I have things under control. Trust me, lists are comforting and great to keep track of your jobs.
4. Turn off your social networks!
No, I do not mean delete them from your mobile device. If your mobile phone has a ‘Do Not Disturb’ setting it is definitely worth turning on. This setting is perfect for keeping distractions away. Every phone call, text and notification are silenced. Your phone will not vibrate to notify you of any incoming communication from the outside world. If you are finding it really hard to concentrate and you can’t tear yourself away from Tik Tok then this is one of the best options.
5. Create a study playlist
No matter what music you are interested in, prepare a playlist to help you study. If you are too picky when it comes to music and don’t know what mood you want to go for, check out Spotify’s study playlists. At the moment I am switching between ‘Study Zone’ and Movie Soundtracks (which is mostly Disney).
Zoom
I am sure that you have all heard about ‘Zoom’ by now and I cannot stress how great it is. Zoom is a free cloud meeting app that CQUni uses so students who are also studying via distance can participate in online sessions with their lecturers, unit coordinators and other classmates. This term in particular, you will become quite accustomed to Zoom and other online meeting services. If you are struggling with your studies and need some help, you can easily reach out to your lecturer or unit coordinator and organise a personal meeting on Zoom. Zoom offers a range of features and abilities. If you are shy and don’t want to share your work on your unit forum, you can share your screen whilst in a meeting to receive feedback.
All things considered, we are all studying online now and if you feel like you’re drifting off course do not be afraid to reach out and ask for help. CQUni offers a range of student services that can be accessed online.
Try out some of these tricks to help you study from home and give it your best shot. These are challenging and unusual times that we are in, but we are all in this together and are here to support each other.
Eloise Arnold is a current Professional Communications student and member of the Social Squad – a group of content creators helping to promote student and campus life at CQUniversity.
