Posted December 28th, 2021
By Kris Powers
If you’re jumping back into a program for school or personal development you may recognize that there are a vast majority of degrees, classes, and certification programs available remotely, now more than ever before. These study hacks for remote learning are going to change your study life dramatically in the best way possible (maybe your everyday life too).
Find a study space
This could be a spot at home, work or even at a coffee shop. Someplace that you find relaxing where you can get into your work. You need a place that can be “closed off” to others that could disturb you during your study time. It doesn’t have to necessarily be a room but an environment where people aren’t going to be tapping your shoulder asking questions every couple of minutes (i.e., partner or kids). Let this be a place that is clean and organized (at least at the desk or table area). Have a candle lit or a diffuser going. Put in your air pods, have some soft study music going or white noise. Make sure you have your notebook, pens, & highlighters pulled out so you don’t have to get up and down. Make the most of your study time because we know life is still going and can interrupt any second. Check out tips on how to Organize Your Workspace for Optimal Focus!
Make a schedule
Remote learning can be a success with a schedule. Know when assignments are due, so you give yourself plenty of time to sit down and study the material. Setting a schedule can help you let family know when studying is going on so they don’t barge in the room or disrupt. An hour or two a day will enable memory retention when you have time to focus!
Having hard copies of information allows you to put information into binders or notebooks. You can bring it with you to work or to lunch if you want to quickly open your binder and study for a little bit. Print the syllabus, worksheets, study material and a copy of your calendar (Buzzfeed recommends syncing all calendars online). Having hard copies of this information will allow you to more easily incorporate the next hack!
Write it down
Write down thoughts & ideas that come to you throughout the day for projects or assignments, make note of any links to resources from your professor for future reference and easy access, make lists to manage tasks and complete goals. Checking off tasks is an accomplishment and helps you realize that you are successfully reaching your end goal. Annotate (Circle, Underline, Highlight). You can study at increased speeds by annotating material. It helps you retain important information as it stands out in your mind when reading. Check out How to Annotate for a short beginner video!
Work Ahead
As a lifetime learner, this is my most important hack! You set yourself up for a less stressful and more successful semester. Work ahead at least a week if you have math assignments or weekly quizzes. Start a project that is due at the end of the semester early, even if it is just writing down ideas that you want to put into it. Write down sites that you want to reference. Working ahead will also enable you to handle sudden emergencies without falling behind, or on the positive side, to enjoy weekends or events in your life knowing you’ve got the next week’s assignment already completed!
Save your work as you go
Most programs have a “save as you go” feature. We’ve all had computers freeze or update or Wi-Fi fail as we’ve been working. Save yourself heartache or panic attacks and go ahead and save the document as you create it! Keep hitting that save button as you work.
Interact
Your classmates might have study tools or ideas that you don’t, ask questions if confused, Buzzfeed recommends taking notes during the recorded lectures and paying full attention during the live lecture. Sidenote to the live lectures - turn off the self-view, it’s a distraction (don’t worry - you look good)!
Stay Motivated
One of the top struggles with studying remotely is staying motivated and maintaining the ability to focus. Check out some ideas on staying motivated in How to Stay Motivated While Learning Remotely. Improve your focus by having your own study space, putting your phone away, eating ahead of time, and making sure you can study at a time when distractions are at a minimum (during children’s nap time, nighttime, early morning, or while the kids are at school).
There are a multitude of study hacks, and these are just some suggestions! Learning how to study remotely is a benefit that all of us should try! These study hacks can even transfer into habits you may use in your new job! A lot of these have kept me sane and allowed me to work smarter and harder. Now get to studying!
If you are interested in personal development, career training, or are looking for classes to take on almost any subject, visit Ed4Career to explore hundreds of online course opportunities!
