3 Online Learning Tips to Share With Your Students

As a student myself, I understand the struggles of online and distance learning.

If you had asked me a year ago, school at home sounds like a holiday! No getting out of bed early in the morning, staying warm in your blanket while attending classes, not having to change out of those comfortable PJs. Also, a break from commuting, getting ready on time, and the commitments to show up.

If you ask me now, online learning can be a fight against monotony, loss of motivation, and procrastination. I want to share what works for me as a student.

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1. Rise and Shine!

The most important thing while online learning, and you must have heard this repeatedly, is discipline. Of course, everyone can log in on time for their classes. But what happens once class is finished? Despite the enormous amount of schoolwork that students are given, the day ahead can seem long and empty. One of the main reasons for this is that it can be unstructured. A typical day in regular school would have a timetable. You would attend one class after another, go for lunch, attend some more classes, and go home. At home, too, a routine would wait for you, filled with activities and interactions. Our everyday routines contain a lot of stimulus and variety.

There is constant change in the places you go to, the people you meet, the activities you do. Simulating a similar schedule for online learning can help you overcome its monotony.

Try including all those activities that you would normally do, get enough sleep, and eat well. Make a timetable that feels right for you by taking care of your needs. Be realistic with it. Most importantly, stick to it. A schedule is not meant to pressurize you but rather to enhance your productivity. Getting out of bed sounds much easier now that your days are full of things to look forward to, doesn't it?

2. Blanket? What Blanket?

Learning online does not mean you have to sit in front of your laptop 24/7! Sitting in front of my computer, often wrapped up in a blanket, makes me feel more lethargic than ever.

Sometimes, sitting in the same position for too long even causes muscle and joint pains. Exercising, on the other hand, is very helpful in rejuvenating your body and your mind. A thirty-minute jog, an intense strengthening workout, or even some quick yoga routines can get you into motion. You can choose whatever form of exercise your "heart" wants, both literally and metaphorically! Exercising is known to have positive effects, relieving you of stress and activating your mind. It will also help you to step away from your study environment and give you a change of scenery.

Although you may think it will eat away at your study time, it will likely increase your capacity to learn, making your mind more receptive to new information. Time spent exercising will hence be recuperated through your heightened learning capabilities. The best thing would be to pencil in a workout session in the timetable that I'm sure you must have built by now. I know what you will say, "but will this mean I will have to get out of my blanket?" To this, I will reply, "after moving those joints, you won't want a blanket!"

3. Let's Put Those PJs to Good Use

If none of this works, then a simple and easy solution is to put on those comfy PJs, find a soothing environment, and meditate. You will be surprised by its many wonders. By taking just ten minutes in the day all to yourself, you will get a chance to escape in your very own world. Meditating will allow you to develop the capacity not to judge yourself and to be patient with yourself. It will teach you to focus on your breath and focus on the here and now. Not only will it help you compose yourself, but it will also increase your level of concentration.

Learning online includes many distractions, the largest one being that you're online!

Meditating can help you focus on what matters the most. It is a way to exercise the muscles of your mind so that they may have greater control over your life. Your discipline, your routine, your schedule, and your motivation level will automatically fall in place.

I will leave you with this — take online learning as a chance to study comfortably and sustainably. Make it an opportunity to start loving learning—by learning on your own terms.