Ontario is currently on another stay-at-home order until February 28. Many universities are already starting their classes this term remotely. This new way of learning comes with some challenges. The term ‘zoom fatigue’ became popular last year when we transformed into remote work. Many students have reported that their attention spans have shortened and schoolwork became more complicated online. We have compiled a list of tips that may help students to excel in remote learning:
- Have a designated study space
- It is important to separate your living and working space. If you are an international student like me, you may be living in a rental apartment where there is not much space available. I dedicate a corner in my room for studying. I try my best to only do work in that space. This separation helps to motivate myself to focus on studying!
- Turn off all devices
- I put my phone on airplane mode whenever I am working. I have my notifications off on my laptop as well. This trick would help with overstimulation! Since I already spend so much time on Zoom, my brain and eyes get overwhelmed and my eyes get tired quickly. Having less distraction helps my brain to focus on tasks on hand.
- This is a new productivity technique that I had recently discovered and had helped me with my workload. With this technique, I would choose one task that I need to do and work in intervals. I set the timer for 25 minutes, and after that 25 minutes is up, I would take a break for 5 minutes. Then, after the fourth intervals, I would take a longer break. Working in intervals helped with time management and work delegation. I don’t feel as overwhelmed with my study using this technique. You don’t have to stick with 25 minutes, you can try 20 or 30 minutes, whichever works for you! The key is to work in intervals and take smaller breaks.
- Organize and prioritize your lists
- I get easily anxious whenever I have a lot of studying to do. Making to-do lists and prioritizing them help me to see that it is actually not that many work. One of the tools that I learned from school is called the Eisenhower grids, where you divide the tasks into 4 categories by their urgency and importance.
- I also like to write all my tasks daily and put how many hours I need to complete them. If it would take me less than 15 minutes, I would do it right away! Time management is really key during remote learning.
- Take a break!
- This is the most important step after you are doing all the work! Try doing a little exercise during the break to stimulate your brain and regulate blood flows. My favourite is to get fresh air to refresh my mind and get coffee from my local cafe as a treat. Do not forget to hydrate and eat during the day as well. Nutrition is also key for success.
Which one of these tips have helped you? Which one would you want to try in the future? I wish all of the success and fulfilling grades to all of us remote students!