Since the start of the pandemic, online learning has taken a toll on so many aspects of everyone's lives. Regardless if you’re a student learning online or a parent working from home, as such a large part of the world today, you have no doubt struggled to stay focused while adapting to online alternatives.
First, the golden rule of online learning: put away your phone when you are working! While this may sound obvious, putting this into practice is much more difficult than expected. Most teens will go get their phones just to check if there have been any notifications, and will end up spending more and more time on their phone, despite it being “put away”. The solution? Have someone hold you accountable. This can be your parents or siblings, who will keep your phone for you. If this doesn’t work, have a challenge with a friend and whoever gets their phone first loses.
With no more study groups in the library, and less talking in class, many teens have taken to FaceTiming or using other video calls to study more effectively. Having someone there (virtually), focusing alongside you, is an inevitable motivator. If you’re studying, bouncing questions off of each other is a great way to study while staying safe.
One of the most highly valued ways to manage your time and make sure you stay on track, even without a teacher watching over you, is using an agenda. Many people think that you can remember all your tasks without writing this down, but unfortunately, this isn’t the case. It’s so easy to see the day slipping away without accomplishing anything, but by creating a checklist with time frames next to each task, you become much more motivated to do your work, and it becomes easier to stay on track. Use the notes app or a document to write down everything you have to do. Then, organize it into what will be done when and what is most important. This is good for short-term work, but use a calendar to mark long-term assignments.
When you’re in synchronous classes, it is incredibly easy to open another tab and drown out your teacher’s (potentially boring) voice. To keep focus, remind yourself that there will be tests, and taking notes will help you remember the content. In fact, taking notes by hand not only gets you partially off of your computer but also is a better way to remember what you are learning. Don’t save taking notes or catching up for later; it’s a waste of your time. If you try to avoid taking notes by telling yourself that you can catch up later, think about the time this will take when it could have been avoided if you listened in class. As well, try to participate. If the teacher asks a question, answer. Not only will your teacher admire and take note of your active participation, but it will help you absorb the content.
By following these tips, you will hopefully have an easier time staying focused when learning from home. Remember to approach each day that you have as a day to complete your goals. A day that can be productive.
Edited by: Khushi Kumari
Sophie Block is a grade ten student at North Toronto Collegiate Institute in Toronto, Canada. Sophie loves to read, write and watch TV.
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