Online learning – for some, it’s bliss; for others a curse. The funny thing is that ten years ago, while online learning existed in some form, it was not as widespread as it is now. The COVID-19 pandemic changed a lot of our habits, pushing more aspects of our everyday life to embrace digitalization. And the attitude students had toward online studies varied.
Some embraced the possibility of joining the classes without leaving the comfort of their homes. Others, however, spent a lot of time adjusting to new conditions. But, both categories experienced a lack of motivation when studying online. But things like that happen not only when it comes to a standard college education. Even when you’re taking an online course in the subject you’re passionate about; you may start feeling uninspired all of a sudden.
For example, if previously you would order custom essay only when you had no time, now you turn to assignment services whenever you have homework. Even when you have the simplest task that you can easily make on your own, you find it easier to pay for it rather than putting in a bit of effort. So, why do students feel a lack of motivation when studying online? Here are some reasons:
- Absence of real interaction with peers
- Constraints of the virtual format
- Lack of proper study space
Yes, the virtual format gives you a lot of freedom, but there are limitations as well. And finally, it’s challenging to keep yourself organized when you’re at home. There are too many distractions. In the end, your studies spiral out of control. You don’t do your homework and start wondering: “What is this all for?” If that sounds familiar, you may find the following tips quite useful.
Why Are You Studying in the First Place?
Whenever you’re experiencing a lack of motivation, regardless of whether it’s your standard education or taking an online course, this is the question you need to ask yourself: What’s the reason behind me getting an education? Why did I take this online course?
Go into detail about all the benefits the degree or the knowledge that you get from the online course will provide you. When you take all that into account, you may return to your online learning afresh. Some goals take more time to be reached. And it’s easy to forget your goals on your way to reaching them. Reminding yourself about them is important. It really helps, but it’s far from being a remedy – there are other things that you could do.
Stay Connected
Online communication differs greatly from its offline counterpart. But you can still communicate with your fellow students. When it comes to online courses, you can easily make new friends. Besides, for some, making new friends online is easier than offline. So, think about the new acquaintances that you’ve made through online learning.
Are you confused about a certain aspect of your studies? Do you find it difficult to figure out something? Well, here comes another benefit of online learning — communication with your professor. Whenever you have some problems with the subject, you can message them. They may provide you with advice or even extra materials that you may require to accomplish the task.
Mind Your Study Space
Why even get up from bed if you’re studying from home? And when it’s an online class, you may not turn on your camera if you don’t look presentable. Or even if you have to turn on the camera, most likely you have a shirt on, but you stay in your underwear. Nobody is checking if you’re wearing jeans or not.
And you’re not keeping your table in order. You can study lying on the couch or in the kitchen. While you may enjoy that kind of coziness, it doesn’t really add to your productivity. The main challenge of online learning is keeping everything under your control. And your study space is your responsibility now. So, you should work to make it suitable for your productivity.
You should keep your study space tidy and make sure that it’s well-lit. It should be comfortable yet allow you to focus on your studies. Finally, your study space should have personal touches, so it’ll be a space that you’d want to spend time at rather than leaving it as soon as possible. Make proper changes to your study space, and you will feel motivated.
Control Your Time and Make Breaks
Online learning, in many respects, doesn’t require you to do something in specific hours. You don’t have to go to college physically, so you can stay up all night long doing your homework while listening to music or watching movies. Then, you’ll join the class in the morning and sleep sometime after that. A perfect schedule, isn’t it? But then, something feels wrong.
Instead of time for studying and free time, you get all things mixed up. In the end, your life turns into a light form of purgatory, and you don’t feel motivated for anything. Despite being free of the standard schedule, you should keep a schedule anyway. Devote time for studying, and have breaks for leisure, but don’t mix them up together.
Create a Study-Related Routine
Studying offline provides you with a day-to-day routine. Most likely, you’re taking the same road to college every day. It sets you in the mood for studies. However, some get a tingling sense of dread. But in cases like that, you have the same feeling before joining the online class. Anyway, when it comes to online learning, you should have a routine related to it or turn it into a routine itself. It will keep you motivated.
Final Thoughts
Here you have five tips that will help you stay motivated when you’re studying online. Mind that those tips are optional. Who knows, maybe you feel absolutely alright with studying interwoven into all of your other activities. Possibly a mess in your room doesn’t affect your motivation. But if the things mentioned in the article sound familiar to you, you should try out the tips.