How To Study Efficiently Online
Learning online is a skill one should adopt. According to research, not more than 5% of people who enroll in an online course actually finish it. This mostly happens due to the lack of motivation to complete the course. Hence to overcome this, here's a list of 8 tips that I have learned while learning online from various sources like Coursera, Udacity, and Udemy.
1. Get A Friend To Study Along
Online learning can be boring and cumbersome. It's better to gather 3-4 friends and form a study group. eLearning can be lonely sometimes and when you get stuck you are really stuck, having friends to work through problems with is critical. You can also find friends remotely and video chat instead of having in-person meetings. I used to do this with my peers through Slack channels.
2. Give Yourself Time To Finish Your First Class
It's always better to start with just one class and set a deadline to finish that one. While learning online, you need to be more self-disciplined, though you can go at your own pace. Remember the first class is always the hardest as you are shifting completely to a different type of learning. So I always recommend to start with just a single class and try to finish it before moving on.
3. Get Into A Schedule
Study during your most productive time of the day for at least 2-3 hours. Make a time table and try to stick to it. Taking a week off is always recommended, but it's up to you. In this block, you'll have to watch lectures, read books, and do your homework as well. Hence stick to a schedule to be more productive. I prefer to study in the morning hours as I feel more productive at that time. The rest of my day is dedicated to watching movies, fun, and games. It depends on what you want to utilize the time for. You can do other unimportant stuff in this window.
4. Turn Off Your Distractions
Keep the phone away that lets you check WhatsApp every now and then. No need to check email or pick up a phone when studying. It's not difficult to spend an hour messaging or checking Instagram, so don’t even give yourself the opportunity to get distracted. Make sure you put your phone in another room or in your backpack. I’ve found having it next to you makes you want to turn it back on. Trust me, doing this will increase your concentration x10.
5. Use The Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management practice that aims to provide the user with maximum focus and creative freshness, thereby allowing them to complete things faster with less mental fatigue. The process is fairly simple. You dedicate 25 highly focused minutes to study and take a break for 5 minutes. Each 25-minute study period is called a “Pomodoro,” named after the Italian word for tomato. After four “pomodoros” have passed, you will have studied for 100 minutes with a break of only 15 mins.
6. Rewind Lectures That You Don’t Understand
This is the biggest advantage of online learning. One can actually pause and rewind on the spot to revise if you didn’t understand the material. This is not possible in schools or colleges. Also, some MOOCs, like Udacity, provide a mentor where you can discuss your problems and get feedback on your projects. While other online education institutes don't provide mentorship, it’s important that you train yourself to fully understand one section before moving on.
7. Always Refer To Your Books
A lot of times it happens that you don't understand the lecture properly. I always recommend keeping a reference book to get a second explanation because there are no teachers or course assistants to ask.
8. Bet On Your Exams
Take your tests and quizzes seriously. This is the time when you want to apply all that you have learned with such a passion and focus. Try short quizzes that you find in other resources. A good score on an exam is surely a boost to your self-confidence. Make sure you have a good internet connection.
Good luck!
