How to Organize Online Learning Process for First-Year Students
Keeping focused on the subject has never been an easy task, even in times of offline learning. So, what can we say about online classes, where we can hardly see the faces of our groupmates? Yes, it’s much harder now! The question is, are there ways to make learning effective and engaging?
In fact, everyone has the same problems. Many of us are too humble to share our opinions in front of complete strangers (chances are, you’ve never seen your classmates in reality). Thus, the level of motivation is rather low. We feel your pain, and therefore we decided to collect valuable rules that will help turn online lessons into an exciting, productive process!
However, before we begin, let us remember that sometimes even the most motivated students can’t hand in all the college tasks. And the reason is a banal lack of time! At such moments, a professional buy essay service comes to the rescue – there, you can find an experienced author super quickly. Having them on your side will keep your academic performance under control, not to mention your stress level and overall productivity.
1. Understand Your Goals
The learning process is usually complicated, so you need to know at which point it can be called complete. Thus, you must clearly define the purpose of each study session and the course as a whole. Otherwise, what’s the point of learning at all? Indeed, the best way to stay active is to achieve intermediate goals.
Which paragraphs do you have to read today? Which notes do you have to take? Which projects do you have to discuss with your groupmates?
The easiest way to do this is to take advantage of handy apps for planning and time management. Read on to discover which tools will suit you best!
2. Download Amazing Programs
The times when we wrote everything down in paper notebooks are long gone. Many say that this is for the best – in any case, we often lose them or get tired of carrying heavy bags. Today, apps are great helpers when it comes to planning and organizing. And here are a few tools we simply adore!
TickTick
This is the perfect GTD (Getting Things Done) daily planning app. The best thing about it is that it can be fully customized according to your taste. The application has a built-in calendar and a reminder that works at the date and time you’ve set. So you will not forget about sending an essay, a call with a teacher, or the final editing of the paper. Plus, you can add comments, checklists, files, and tags to any task, also assigning its priority.
MindMeister
It is great for long-term projects that last a week, month, or quarter. It is best to visualize them using mind maps in order to see the whole picture and not miss anything. Are you in the middle of brainstorming? Mind maps with many branches will definitely come in handy. Basically, it is more convenient to create them on your computer or iPad. There’s also a synchronization function too. And you can always share a link to the map and work on it together with others.
Evernote
The app is simply essential when you get lost in a flow of lists, ideas, quotes, and other data you want to keep. Are you afraid of losing something vital? In such information chaos, there must be a place where your findings are stored properly. Evernote is super cool for saving links, articles, and screenshots.
Trello
It is a quite known tool for remote teamwork. It is ideal for group projects since the service has a lot to do with a kanban principle. Never heard of it? Well, it is a Japanese project automation and management system. Here, all work is divided into separate cards created for all participants. So, you can assign a card for discussions, references, texts, presentations, etc.
The main benefit is that the whole system is absolutely transparent, and you will always be aware of what your group members are doing right now. Plus, you can add a deadline to each task and stay super organized.
And last but certainly not least is the Pomodoro Timer. This is a tool for those who suffer from procrastination and are too immersed in work. Here is a guide on how to use the Pomodoro Timer properly:
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Turn the timer on. The interval usually lasts for 25 minutes;
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Work until the “tomato” rings;
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Take a short break (enjoy these 5 minutes to get some fresh air, stretch or drink coffee);
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Take a long break (30 minutes) after 4 study sessions.
3. Use A Variety Of Methods
The fact that a learning process is diverse and unpredictable is a guarantee that you will not be bored. Modern distance learning platforms give us room to use different types of materials and ways to test our knowledge.
To stay effective, discover which materials you like most. These may be video tutorials, articles with illustrations and diagrams, webinars, screencasts, and something else. In addition, pay attention to how you check your expertise. If there’s a chance to pass an online test (even though the teacher didn’t assign it to you) – take advantage of this chance to learn what your knowledge gaps are.
4. Make Sure The Material Is Clear
No doubt, the worst thing that happens while learning is a misunderstanding. The number of gaps will snowball, making you more and more frustrated. That is why everything in an online course should be clear so that you don’t lose your desire to study further. The key is to research the material in such a way that each previous portion of information helps to understand the next one. Distance learning platforms help make this task much easier. For example, you can use online diaries, available teachers’ consultations, or offer your groupmates to create a chat to help each other study.
5. Cooperate With Other Students
Group learning is one of the most vital methods to use. Why? When several people study together, they not only motivate each other but also help to perceive the material better. Group learning allows us to immerse in the right information environment in the nick of time. As we mentioned earlier, you can take advantage of group chats. This is necessary for everyone to stay heard, seen, and supported.
