You are here
Home > School News > The Must-haves for Online School Success

The Must-haves for Online School Success

By: Brianna Kalina

Online school has presented students with both benefits and challenges. Staring at a computer screen for 6 hours straight is not the ideal learning scenario for most students. Online education has thrown another battle onto students in that it has required them to use skills they never had to before. Time management and organization skills are being held to a new level, and students need to plan time to remain active. Some students, for example, may consider reclining in bed during a math lesson to be a dream come true, until they see their score on the next test! Here are many ways that can take your online learning experience and success to the next level.

The way you feel at the end of the day usually stems from how your day started. That is why it is important to make a routine! Even though you can roll out of bed and get ready for class within seconds, try waking up earlier than the class start time. Even 15 minutes earlier gives you enough time to get in a new outfit, make your bed, and eat some breakfast. Getting into the unhealthy habit of wearing the same pajamas over and over again, and feeling rushed into the first lesson, is not going to set the day up well. It is important to have a type of structure, and with food in your stomach and a made bed, you will have a greater motivation to do better.

Since you are not roaming the hallways when you’re at home, it is important to still take some time to move your body. Sitting in front of the screen for even just an hour will make you begin to lose focus. Take a lap around your house, or even do some stretches in between each class period. Taking in information through zoom is hard in itself, therefore you need to make sure you can offer your full attention. Fresh air also helps after a long period of time staring at a screen, so take a step outside and take a deep breath before your next class starts. 

Long periods of exposure to computer radiation is known to cause headaches and eye strain. Purchase a pair of blue light reflective glasses! They filter out the blue light emitted from computer screens, which is the known cause for these symptoms. There are many different brands with a range of prices, some of which are very low. Amazon sells packs of 4 that can arrive in just two days! Side effects from the computer screen can hinder your attention span and work ethic; therefore, it is important to try and prevent them from ever happening.

Another easy tip for online school success is creating an essentials pouch. You can’t forget about the time when your computer was about to die, and the charger was on the other side of your house! Using any type of bag/pouch can create a centralized location where supplies such as a calculator, charger, water, ruler, pencils, etc, can be placed. Creating this classroom space in your home gets confusing, and therefore many students misplace things. This pouch idea is a solution to help improve organization.

It is also strongly encouraged that you complete your online schooling at a desk or table type surface. Mandated or not, this rule is difficult to be enforced due to the difficulty teens often have when getting out of bed. Although sometimes doing some work from your bed is relaxing, in order to ensure your full concentration and ultimate success, you should work from a desk. Whether you believe it or not, sitting at a desk mimics the way you are used to learning in school, and therefore, you are likely to learn better. No matter how much convincing it takes, some students will not comply, but there is a compromise: lap desks! A lap desk will enable you to sit on your bed but complete the work on a hard surface, reinforcing the standard learning position. Some lap desks come with standing legs, which will then require you to sit up straight and not recline, overall increasing attention span. These can be bought anywhere on the internet. Despite this compromise, keep in mind that the maximum success will come from creating a designated area at a desk or table for all your schooling.

We can only hope that soon enough everyone can learn in school together again. In the meantime, it is important to try and make the best of the situation and improve your online learning experience.

Photo courtesy of cnn.com.

Top