Thanks to the Internet, you can now learn whenever, wherever and however works best for you. Would you say this made your life easier than ever? Or, harder and more challenging?  

When you study online, you tend to only interact with your computer, unlike a traditional classroom when you would interact with teachers and fellow students, which may lead to digital fatigue. For example, you may sometimes feel that you are not in the right mood to study and postpone your studies to another time. Digital distractions such as getting a text or an email may also break your concentration, taking much-needed energy away from studies.

Online learning is here to stay, and to reap all the benefits you must be adequately prepared, self-disciplined and driven. Here are my top tips to make the most out of online learning.

Create your dedicated study space at home

Identify one space where you can sit and study comfortably (certainly, not on your bed!) and peacefully. During your study-session, you should aim to mimic an actual classroom and avoid doing things that you wouldn’t usually do if you were in a classroom. You should:

Put together a study plan (and stick to it!)

Online learning needs structure, so having a study plan is critical. At the start of each week, allocate a day and a timeframe in your diary for each of the tasks you need to complete by the end of the week. This is an excellent way to prioritize your study plan and stay on track. Also, it will enable you to remain motivated as you tick tasks off your list and see how much you can actually accomplish. You should:

Use the right learning techniques

While listening to or watching an online lecture, take notes as if you were attending a lesson in a classroom. This will help you to keep focused on the lecture, enhance your understanding and improve your memory. Keep listening or watching pre-recorded lectures without pauses so that you keep your momentum and avoid distractions. If needed, you can always go back to it later to clarify some points. You should:

Be active within your learning community

Connecting with fellow students through additional sessions will enhance your online learning experience and make sure that you don’t feel too isolated. You should:

Make sure to have some downtime

Mental and physical wellbeing are very important, especially when you are an online learner and spend the whole day in the same space. You need to make sure that you have a clear cut-off point for studying every day and allow yourself to relax. You should:

Best of luck with your online studies!

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