Six Tips for Online Classes
Campus Wave ambassador Bri Iannelli shares her ways to get organized! "My way happens to include several colored pens and a planner. These tools, alongside many other things, have kept me sane during this school year. It is only fair that I share my tips and tricks on how to survive online classes!"
Tip One: Make time to get ready in the morning. Getting ready for the day puts me in the right mindset to get work done. Typically, I wake up, make my bed, drink coffee, eat a light breakfast, quick shower, fix my hair, a little bit of mascara, and brush my teeth. When I fix my hair, I use three of my favorite things: Great Barrier Heat Protectant Hairspray, Beachwaver Pro 1.25, and Second Chance Dry Shampoo. When done, I'm in a productive mood and camera-ready (in case of any zoom classes).
Tip Two: Utilize a weekly and monthly planner. I like the idea of seeing a broad overview of the month. Then, the weekly pages help me focus on what I can accomplish that week. If your anything like me, I tend to overwhelm myself. So, the weekly section forces me to take one day at a time.
Tip Three: Assign each class a specific color pen, notebook, and folder. Usually, an upcoming class is highlighted in my weekly planner with a color that represents that class. It puts me in the mindset that I am working on marketing, for example, and not anything else. It’s easier for me to remember information when I use a designated color for it throughout the semester!
Tip Four: Take handwritten notes during class. Just because classes went online does not mean everything you do has to, too! For starters, I would be writing my notes if classes were in-person. I even use the color pens I chose for each class to make important notes or vocabulary stand out. It keeps me engaged during class. my goal is to keep my school routine as close to normal as possible. Not to mention, it takes your eyes off the screen for a little–which brings me to my next tip.
Tip Five: Be mindful of your screen time. An article on The New York Times mentioned that when you are schooling or working from home, it is easy to sit in front of the computer all day. But how much time did you spend checking social media instead of doing what needs to be done? To avoid this, I set myself a time to work on an assignment and a certain amount of time for a break offline. During breaks, I either go for a short walk, eat a healthy snack, or listen to music.
Tip Six: Treat your school week like a 9:00 am to 5:00 pm job. I have been living by this since the first semester of freshman year! I utilize the eight hours Monday through Thursday to accomplish large tasks: reading, homework, starting a study guide, attending classes, and attending office hours. I aim to have the most important things done before Friday. Fridays are for minuscule tasks such as attending a class (if you have one) and final assignment submissions. Your weekends are for you to spend however you like!
I am so excited about this journey and sharing what I have learned throughout college. We are in this together! Getting organized is just the first step. From then on, school becomes a whole lot easier.