Many educational institutes initiated remote learning processes by scheduling online classes from the onset of the COVID-19 breakout and the imposition of lockdown. Seeing the safety of children due to the Coronavirus impact, taking part in online classes is truly an incredible idea for students where they don’t need to leave their home comforts behind. However, everything has two faces; studying on screen for so long and concentrating on online lectures is not easy. Although some students manage it efficiently, many others face difficulties figuring out how to stay focused during online classes while maintaining the equivalent level of focus they used to have when they were in a classroom.
The Most Common Challenges Faced During Online Classes
Although it’s been almost two years now, it is pretty tough for both parents and children to happily manage a proper routine for online classes. After this long journey, I would vouch for school rather than online studies if you ask me. Schools are not only for studies; they instill discipline among children and infuse a healthy competitive environment within students. When you study with peers, you learn constructively; above all, interactive sessions at school are comparatively pre-eminent. Whereas at home, children become lethargic to follow the same routine, it becomes monotonous for them to study alone watching their teachers online. But due to the pandemic, students are forced to follow online classes despite all the side effects. So being parents or students, instead of making a fuss, you have to seek inspiring ways to stay focused during online classes.
10 Tips to Stay Calm and Focussed During Online Classes
As we see, there may be numerous enticements at home, luring students to stay focused during online classes. So here are some tips about keeping your concentration uptight during online classes.
1. Stay on Routine
Online classes give you the opportunity to attend classes in your pajamas without leaving the comfort of your bed. Nevertheless, it also leads you to lose your focus easily. So, when you are learning how to stay focused during online classes, the most fundamental thing you need to realize is that even though you are in your home, you still need to maintain some routine. Wake up early enough so that you can get enough time to finish your morning chores. Take a shower, get dressed appropriately, and try to get enough time to complete your breakfast on time to stay focused when the class begins. Keeping up with the routine will always help you stay energized and improve your focus.
2. Establish the Adequate Study Space
You need a dedicated place where you can stay attentive and motivated. Try to arrange your studies in a place isolated from household distractions, specifically away from the television, your bed, or even your gaming console. During class hours, try to keep the door closed so that you can block the noise to some extent, as well as keep younger siblings or pets from disturbing your class.
3. Eradicate Distractions
At home, there are endless things that can distract students, so the very first thing is to keep a check on them. Suppose you are listening to the lecture, but as your camera is off and your teacher cannot watch you, don’t use that opportunity to distract yourself. If you are in shared accommodation, ask your room partner or family members not to vacuum or watch tv at a loud volume. Nowadays, social media is one of the biggest hurdles to keeping you attentive; stop scrolling down social media sites while studying. Put your phone on silent or airplane mode and only check it during breaks. Also, do wear earphones or headphones, preferably those with the noise-canceling feature, so that you can hear your teacher and classmates with clarity besides preventing surrounding distracting noise.
4. Modernize Your Technology
To stay focused, you need to stay connected and see as well as listen to your teachers properly. So, getting disconnected is not an option; you need to stay updated with the technologies. Instead of wasting time during the class, you should be well conversant with the online platform which the teachers use for discussions, quizzes, or assignments. If you want to use time management methods, then the Pomodoro Technique is there for you. Promoted by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, it is a method that supports splitting your study period to accommodate intermissions. Even for convenience, many apps are available to get the benefits of using this method.
5. Utilize Correct Learning Strategies
It’s high time to put your learning strategies into effect. Instead of recording lectures, try to prepare handwritten notes; handwritten notes proved exceptionally helpful in paying attention to the details and helped memorize fast. So, inculcate a habit of taking notes when you’re learning a new concept or lesson; write it down in a notebook in your own words. Listen to your teachers carefully and simultaneously pen down important points in your notebook. Try writing precisely so that later when you consult those notes for your detailed studies, your notes and textbooks should be enough for reference. If you really want to focus on how to stay focused during online classes, instead of watching the lecture later, try to watch it live. It will give you the feeling of attending a regular class.
6. Interaction is Important
Interaction is always the right way of learning; when you debate or participate in some discussion, you not only get various input from others but also brainstorm to understand that particular concept in-depth, further evolving the best in you. Ensure to participate in classroom discussions, doubt solving sessions, or project presentations. When your teacher asks any questions, try to answer those. Don’t put your camera off; keep your video session on during the lecture and interact with your peers and teacher during the online class.
7. Set Dedicated Study Time
Because of their flexible nature, online classes are more popular among several students, particularly those with kids or even full-time jobs. Having a committed study schedule can benefit students by maintaining the formation they used to have during their in-person class schedules. Regrettably, a shortfall of set class timing can make postponing tasks quite effortless for students who lack self-control. Try to block the same time every day as your study schedule. Over time your body will get accustomed to the schedule.
8. Stay on Track
Always be alert and keep track of your timings, online tests, or presentation with a weekly calendar and schedule to remind you of class timings and allotted time for homework and studying. To ease this, try documenting a daily to-do list either online with Microsoft To-Do or in a notebook or diary and tick them off as you finish. List all the assignments/projects/homework which are to be done in order—further categorizing them in the segment of the first to be done, the most time-consuming one, when prioritizing where to begin. Initially, you will find it tough to do, but when you start following these, you will realize how things are synchronized and coordinated due to these simple steps and, you will undoubtedly begin to enjoy your lectures.
9. Take a Break
Don’t push yourself too hard; whenever you get a break from the classes, utilize it nicely, take a deep breath, drink juice, water, or eat fresh fruits, listen to mind soothing music, or talk to your besties; just do the things that keep you calm.
After the classes finally end, take out time for a short nap and do the things that give you relaxation; play a game, visit a friend, go for a walk, talk with your siblings or parents, help your mother with household chores to take your mind off from the set routine of yours. And to do all these, use a timer to split up your day to manage things smoothly with studying and homework and save yourself from overload and a monotonous lifestyle. Set timer notifications for all important work or those things that distract you, even for playtime, bathroom breaks, mealtime, entertainment time, and even for study and homework.
10. Get Enough Sleep and Stay Hydrated
Getting sufficient sleep helps us to enhance our productivity. Perfect good night’s sleep proved to provide help in getting good grades as well as enhancing the mood. Long study hours, which most of the time avert enough sleep, resulting in much lower performance. So, try to get a nap schedule or go to bed at the same time daily. Stay hydrated; you can’t focus if you are thirsty, and that’s why regular hydration is essential, so do keep a glass of fresh juice or a bottle of water near your study space. Also, keep some healthy snacks, protein-rich snacks, or dry fruits or nuts and strictly avoid confectionery or sweets, or chocolates. Besides, all these do take care of your mental and physical health.
Because of the current pandemic situation, we don’t know when to go for in-person classes again. So it is a must for you to accustom yourself to this existing online learning process. Getting a clear idea about how to stay focused during online study is very important for you, and if you figure it out fast, it will be helpful for you.
Also Read: Time flies in a blink; each passing second becomes past, so is our time too; therefore, we must reckon time, learn time management, and appreciate the opportunities we get.
