Online learning offers so much more flexibility and opportunity than traditional in-class learning, however it can also be met with some challenges such as staying motivated and avoiding distractions at home. We’ve outlined our top 10 online study tips for success and hope they help you stay on track!Set aside a special space for studying
A designated study area will help you to concentrate and get in the ‘zone’ when you’re ready to get stuck into your coursework. Choose a place with great lighting, invest in a comfy chair and a proper desk for your computer. Having a special space set aside for learning means you’re likely to be more productive and remain on track. If this can be a space away from the kitchen, lounge room or bedroom that’s even better as it can help you avoid other distractions at home.
Here is a home office ergonomic checklist from AtWork Australia for you to consider when setting up your home study space. Eliminate distractions
To stay on track, its best to remove or minimise all potential distractions so you aren’t continually interrupted or tempted to do something else. Let those in your household know you’re going to study and to not distract you if possible. Put your phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ or silent mode and move it out of arms reach, turn off any TV’s and close irrelevant tabs on your computer. Have a notepad handy so any non-course related thoughts or tasks that come to mind can be quickly written down and you can move on without being worried they’ll be forgotten later. Allocate time for online learning each week
The benefits of flexible online learning means that you can study when it best suits you. It’s still important to dedicate and allocating time each week to work on it, however it doesn’t have to be on the same day or time every week. Perhaps one week, you have Monday and Tuesday evenings free to work on your coursework, but other weeks it’s only Friday morning. If you can keep a calendar or a diary and jot down when you plan to study, this can help to ensure coursework gets completed each week.
You might even download a study planner app, use the regular calendar app on your phone or an app like Google Calendar or Outlook, or make notes in a physical diary or journal. Visualise the end goal
Sometimes motivation can wane, and procrastination can set in, which can happen to even the most dedicated and eager students! Stick a photo of your end goal in a few places you see daily, such as your bathroom mirror, on the fridge or behind the toilet door so you’re reminded what you’re working towards. Want to be a Vet Nurse? Dream of being a Reptile Handler? Post those photos around! Motivational inspiration
Find some of your favourite motivational quotes, write them down and post them in your study space. Then when you’re feeling a little off track hopefully these will help to prompt and re-energize you to stay on track.
Take a look at these top motivational quotes for students.
Make small, actionable goals
When planning your time and coursework it can become daunting when the final goals seem too big or timely. You may feel overwhelmed, which can negatively impact your productivity. By breaking each task down, or breaking study days into small bite sized chunks of time it can help you to get more done. It can help you feel like you’re achieving so much more and keep you motivated to move forward. Acknowledge procrastination
If that old enemy procrastination raises its head, that means it’s time to reset and refocus on your goals. Firstly, break the cycle and acknowledge that you’re wasting time. Move to a different task and set an actionable timeline to come back to your coursework. For example, you are on the couch scrolling through Facebook, recognise and acknowledge that you’re procrastinating, go get a glass of water and a snack, and then tell yourself that you’re going to head to the computer and do 30 minutes of coursework. By breaking your procrastination activity and setting a new goal (30 mins of work) you are less likely to continue wasting time. Get accountable
It can be easy to drift from your online course studies when you have no one to report to, compared to a traditional learning environment where teachers or tutors are following you up all the time. We suggest selecting 5 family members or friends to update about your new course and goals, as these people can help to keep you accountable for working through the course. They’ll be interested to hear how you’re going and progressing which can help keep you on track!You could even post to Facebook or Instagram, we know it’s exciting starting your journey to a new career! Breaks and bonuses
If you have planned a particularly large study block for a day, make sure you schedule in some breaks to give you a chance to refresh. Once you have completed a task or chunk of work, don’t be afraid to reward yourself with something you enjoy. Perhaps go for a walk, or head to your favourite café to buy a coffee. Having a positive reward at the end of an allocated task or checkpoint, helps to keep you on track with that end reward in mind. Get involved
Each Upskill Online course provides students with access to our interactive online platform, which gives you the opportunity to network with other students. Engage in discussions and post regularly on the student forums. By contributing, students often feel more supported and having a network around you going through a similar situation can really help you to maintained focus and power through your coursework!
A designated study area will help you to concentrate and get in the ‘zone’ when you’re ready to get stuck into your coursework. Choose a place with great lighting, invest in a comfy chair and a proper desk for your computer. Having a special space set aside for learning means you’re likely to be more productive and remain on track. If this can be a space away from the kitchen, lounge room or bedroom that’s even better as it can help you avoid other distractions at home.
Here is a home office ergonomic checklist from AtWork Australia for you to consider when setting up your home study space.
To stay on track, its best to remove or minimise all potential distractions so you aren’t continually interrupted or tempted to do something else. Let those in your household know you’re going to study and to not distract you if possible. Put your phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ or silent mode and move it out of arms reach, turn off any TV’s and close irrelevant tabs on your computer. Have a notepad handy so any non-course related thoughts or tasks that come to mind can be quickly written down and you can move on without being worried they’ll be forgotten later.
The benefits of flexible online learning means that you can study when it best suits you. It’s still important to dedicate and allocating time each week to work on it, however it doesn’t have to be on the same day or time every week. Perhaps one week, you have Monday and Tuesday evenings free to work on your coursework, but other weeks it’s only Friday morning. If you can keep a calendar or a diary and jot down when you plan to study, this can help to ensure coursework gets completed each week.
You might even download a study planner app, use the regular calendar app on your phone or an app like Google Calendar or Outlook, or make notes in a physical diary or journal.
Sometimes motivation can wane, and procrastination can set in, which can happen to even the most dedicated and eager students! Stick a photo of your end goal in a few places you see daily, such as your bathroom mirror, on the fridge or behind the toilet door so you’re reminded what you’re working towards. Want to be a Vet Nurse? Dream of being a Reptile Handler? Post those photos around!
Find some of your favourite motivational quotes, write them down and post them in your study space. Then when you’re feeling a little off track hopefully these will help to prompt and re-energize you to stay on track.
Take a look at these top motivational quotes for students.
When planning your time and coursework it can become daunting when the final goals seem too big or timely. You may feel overwhelmed, which can negatively impact your productivity. By breaking each task down, or breaking study days into small bite sized chunks of time it can help you to get more done. It can help you feel like you’re achieving so much more and keep you motivated to move forward.
If that old enemy procrastination raises its head, that means it’s time to reset and refocus on your goals. Firstly, break the cycle and acknowledge that you’re wasting time. Move to a different task and set an actionable timeline to come back to your coursework. For example, you are on the couch scrolling through Facebook, recognise and acknowledge that you’re procrastinating, go get a glass of water and a snack, and then tell yourself that you’re going to head to the computer and do 30 minutes of coursework. By breaking your procrastination activity and setting a new goal (30 mins of work) you are less likely to continue wasting time.
It can be easy to drift from your online course studies when you have no one to report to, compared to a traditional learning environment where teachers or tutors are following you up all the time. We suggest selecting 5 family members or friends to update about your new course and goals, as these people can help to keep you accountable for working through the course. They’ll be interested to hear how you’re going and progressing which can help keep you on track!You could even post to Facebook or Instagram, we know it’s exciting starting your journey to a new career!
If you have planned a particularly large study block for a day, make sure you schedule in some breaks to give you a chance to refresh. Once you have completed a task or chunk of work, don’t be afraid to reward yourself with something you enjoy. Perhaps go for a walk, or head to your favourite café to buy a coffee. Having a positive reward at the end of an allocated task or checkpoint, helps to keep you on track with that end reward in mind.
Each Upskill Online course provides students with access to our interactive online platform, which gives you the opportunity to network with other students. Engage in discussions and post regularly on the student forums. By contributing, students often feel more supported and having a network around you going through a similar situation can really help you to maintained focus and power through your coursework!
We hope you find these online study tips helpful!
Interested in starting a new course? View our online course options here.