Remember the episode ‘The One with All the Cheesecakes’ of ‘Friends’? If you do, you can relate to Chandler and Rachel’s focus on the ‘stolen’ cheesecake. The moral of the story? Being focused can not only take you to new heights, but can also help you enjoy the little things.
You might be wondering how eating a cheesecake is similar to attending virtual classes. Well, it’s not. However, the term to remember throughout this blog is ‘focus.’ Also, we will not talk about a sitcom or movie. Instead, we will help you with the top ten tips to stay focused during online classes.
Don’t worry—we have made it as interesting as possible to keep you ‘focused’ until the end of this blog.
Let’s get the ball rolling.
‘Staying Focused in an Online Class’: The Need of the Hour
Survey shows that more than half of the students (64%) have expressed concern over maintaining focus and discipline in virtual classes. Additionally, 55% of students have claimed that a lack of social interactions is a concern, making them demotivated in online classes.
We acknowledge all your problems, but is there a way out of it? Not really. Online learning is here to stay and will be adopted by almost all educational institutions across the globe. So, how to cope with a lack of focus and learn the subjects well? The following are ten actionable tips on staying focused and increasing your productivity during online classes:
1. Dedicated Study Space = Dedication to Studying
Getting a place ready for studying is the first step to focus on online classes. You should not take your laptop anywhere, open it, and start studying. Set up a study area with a study table before you start your online class.
Finding the right place will help you stay focused and have a great learning experience. If you choose the correct format to start your online class, maybe video-based learning or reading text, it will also help you stay focused and engaged throughout the session.
2. Be the ‘Dwight Schrute’ in Online Class
Academic success depends on how focused you are on your goals. Be like Dwight Schrute when you attend online classes, completely focused on your end goal. Understand how the lesson can benefit you and help you proceed.
Virtual classes allow students to understand a lesson through videos, making even a boring topic interesting. So, practice mindfulness and concentrate on what is being taught with a goal.
3. Avoid Distractions – Remember, Your Laptop Does Not Have Netflix
Finding a suitable study space or setting a goal will not be enough if you keep thinking about what happens next on ‘Stranger Things’. Keep your phone away and concentrate on what your teacher is teaching during virtual class. Dedicate the time to focus on the study session you are attending.
Avoiding all sorts of distractions will help improve your concentration and stay focused during online classes.
4. Map the Lessons Like Sheldon Cooper
Create mindmaps like Sheldon Cooper. Connect the dots between cause and effect to understand what is being taught in class. Studying online comes with many perks, one of which is the use of videos to explain a particular lesson.
Whenever your teacher explains a subject, try connecting the dots to stay focused. This will also help you have an amazing online learning experience.
5. Keep Your Ears Open While Studying Online
Be a good listener to ace virtual classes and focus on everything that is being taught. Mute all your social media notifications and concentrate on what your teacher says while attending online school.
When you keep your ears open during online sessions, you will not have a problem understanding the lessons or answering the questions.
6. Make a Note of It
Take notes during your online study sessions. Most students do not have a habit of taking notes and rely completely on the video recordings and the notes shared through online cloud software. You will lose focus if you completely rely on tech for your online courses.
When you start the session, keep a pen and paper handy. It will help you stay focused and prevent you from getting distracted.
7. Put Your Heads Together
Have you ever asked your friend, ‘Hey, can you take my online class for me? I am too tired today.’ While it is impossible for your friend to attend classes on your behalf in a virtual setting, it is possible to put your heads together and find solutions to complex problems.
Online students can contact each other, create a dedicated study routine, and form study groups to discuss the tasks assigned. This is a great strategy and one of the best expert tips for staying focused. You can also place a ‘take my online class’ request to consult with an expert.
8. Rest Well to Learn Well in Online School
Taking breaks between classes is crucial to keep focus and improve concentration. Students often feel that completing all the work in one go is the best way for online education. But that’s not the right way. You must take regular breaks, refresh, and restart e-learning lessons to create a great virtual learning environment.
Take some time out from your daily study schedule to rest and refresh.
9. Strike a Balance Between On-Screen and Off-Screen
Balancing screen time is another important aspect of virtual classes. Staring at the screen for long hours will lead to mental fatigue and health issues. Fix a time for reading books or doing anything that does not involve looking at your mobile or laptop screen.
Do some physical exercise, or practice note-taking from physical books, to balance on-screen and off-screen time.
10. Know Where You Stand
The last yet most important tip for staying focused is evaluating yourself. Time management for online students, setting a workspace, and other techniques can boost your online class productivity, but that might not be enough. You have to evaluate yourself from time to time and create a to-do list to boost focus during e-learning.
Ask for feedback from your teachers or friends, start working on yourself, and focus on what is more important for you.
Endnote:
That’s all about study tips for virtual classes. We understand that sometimes things might go south, and you might need help to overcome the odds. You can always ask for online class help to get assistance with the online programs. That said, there’s no way to deny the importance of improving your focus during online school. The focus strategies for students listed above will help you in the long run.
To stay ahead in the race, keep your mind open, remove all distractions, stay organized, and work on the tasks at hand.
All the best!
