Managing Online Summer Classes

Hey everyone! Since I’m taking summer school for the first time and it’s completely online, I thought I would share my experience with you all in this post 🙂 Regular Schedule:   All of my online classes are recorded, which means I can watch them at any time. At first, I tried watching multiple lectures in one sitting, but was completely exhausted at the end of it. I find that spacing the lectures out and watching the recordings at a scheduled time works best for me and has really helped me stay focused, while not falling behind. It doesn’t have to be the scheduled class time, as long as it’s consistent. Following a regular schedule also helps me arrange my time for assignments, meetings, and study breaks while making sure everything gets done!

Study space with minimal distractions: Having a quiet study space is key. I used to study in my living room, but since my entire family’s at home now, I study in my bedroom where it’s quieter. There’s a lot of natural sunlight in my room which is also really important for me. Plus, it’s nice and quiet! I find that there can be a lot of distractions at home, so if I’m attending a lecture or tutorial, I let everyone in my house know I’m in class, so they’ll be more mindful of the noise. I also leave my phone in another room because even though my professor can’t see me, I still avoid checking my phone because it’s rude and of course, I want to stay focused. Also, on nicer days, I like to study in my backyard to soak up some sun and get energized while still following the social distancing guidelines.

Office hours: Since office hours are done through video calls, most of my professors and TAs have more flexible hours that work really well for me. I find that chatting about my work and asking questions are super helpful. Plus, it’s always nice to see some faces 🙂 Whether you’re taking summer school or just chilling at home, I hope you are all having a great summer and are staying safe! 🙂