12 Practical Tips to Stay Focused in Online Classes

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As Covid-19 is running yet, for a moment we thought our school and colleges will get close and we will take a long gap from our studies but the online classes have made a way to continue our studies and not to forget what you studied the whole session.

But, I am sure while studying in your online classes you must have been distracted and unable to make focus. Isn’t it?

So, If you are worried and thinking about how to stay focused in online classes then you are in right place. Because in this article, we’re going to break down 12 practical tips that will surely help you to focus in your online classes.

But wait!

Do you think, Studying Online is Worth it?

In my personal opinion, Online studying can be very effective and worth it but when you have proper resources (phone, laptop, fast network connection, and others) for your online classes and you are able to maintain focus in classes.

Even the research has shown that, Online learning is certainly the more effective option for students, but it's also better for the environment. The Open University in Britain has found that online courses equate to an average of 90% less energy and 85% fewer CO2 emissions per student than traditional in person courses.

Yes, I know it could be still difficult for you to stay focused and be more productive there but it’s achievable. So here are 12 practical tips that will make your online studies successful.

How to focus on online classes?

1. Find a dedicated place to study

This is the first and very important thing to do- Find a dedicated and distraction-free place where you can take your online classes.

The place where you study really matters for your concentration and attention in your online studies. So make sure you find a place where no one can disturb you and your surroundings must support you while studying.

One more thing, your study place should provide you with the best network connection so that you won’t get distracted by a poor internet connection.

If you don’t have then Join a library where you can focus on your online classes without any disturbance.

Apart from these, If you attend your online classes at home then must use a study table and chair and show some discipline.

Never study in bed, because studying in bed can make you feel sleepy or tired. However, If you use a study table and chair then it can create an environment just like your classroom and you will feel your online class is a virtual class.

2. Set your time for study

If you want to spend all day actively at home and give your best to your studies then there is no doubt you should Make a Routine for it.

A routine will not only help you to maintain your schedule, but it will be also helpful for your time management. And we all know how time management is important for your student’s life.

But I know it’s difficult to follow a routine. So instead of following a routine, you can find dedicated study time for your online classes every day. This will help you to differentiate your study from other works. However, if you can stick with a routine then must go ahead.

3. Study the material before your professor teaches you

Studying the material before your professor introduces you can help you in many ways. It will not only help you to understand the material better in class but also you can relate the things that you studied by yourself.

This is what we call Pre-testing. However, it doesn’t mean you have to understand the material while studying first by yourself. If you can retain some words or points in pre-testing that’s important. This will lead to a stronger memory of the information that you studied by yourself and study again in your online class.

In our recent article listed 15 Study Techniques and I also explained to you about the Pre-testing study technique, and I would recommend you to read that article.

4. Eliminate distraction

As I said in the first tip, your study place should be distraction-free and I hope you have noticed that and will make it too. But, I’m sure after eliminating all distractions you will still get distracted because of your phone or any other entertaining gadgets.

Am I right, what do you think?

If you take online classes on your phone then it could be difficult to avoid (social media) notifications during classes. Using a laptop for classes is comparatively easy to avoid distractions because in the case of your phone when any notification shows you during classes then you will surely get curious to check it out once and from there, you get distracted.

So, if you take online classes on your phone must block or uninstall unnecessary applications. And if you don’t then keep your phone and entertaining gadgets away from your study place.

5. Get ready half an hour before your class

Now it’s a very important thing to do and most of the students ignore this and don’t get ready before half an hour of class. Somewhere due to this when their classes get live on, they join classes in a hurry and can’t able to make and maintain their focus.

There are many benefits when you get ready before class…

Being prepared leads to less stress. If one is not prepared then they may feel stressed out.
You can revise and review the materials that you learned in the last class
You can arrange your study area with necessary notes and others like a water bottle
You can read your phone or laptop and your internet connection before the class

6. Keep all necessary materials near you

I have seen many students who don’t keep well notes and other study resources and when they need them during classes then they get distracted and waste their classes in finding the materials.

Once you have all the important stationery materials and resources like notes, books, pens, geometry boxes for math subjects, and others during online classes then you won’t need to break your classes in the middle and you will stay focused.

Whatever the study materials notes and any other things that are important for your online classes or anything which has been provided by your institute, keep them all near you on your study table, just like you keep in your bag when you used to go to school or college.

7. Be active in your online classes

Now you have prepared for your online classes but what if you don’t take much interest and don’t be active in class? Then, you can’t able to make focus on online classes, and from there, you want to leave your class ASAP.

So, be active in your classes and understand all theories that your professor is teaching you, and if you find any doubts or queries then don’t hesitate or be afraid to ask. Even, for a moment if you think I am distracting then say sorry and ask your professor again to repeat what they teach.

And, when you get active in learning and engage with your professors then not only you will stay focused even your professors will also get motivated to teach you.

Here are some tips to get active in your online classes…

Don’t break your class in the middle.
Listen to your professors’ words sincerely.
Don’t forget to do your homework.
Don’t open textbooks when your professor explaining to you something.

8. Use Noise Cancelling Headphones for Online Classes

As I said in one of my tips your environment or study place should be noise-free and you should not get disturbed by your surroundings.

Now, If you have such a place then it’s good but if you don’t have or still feel distracted then use noise-canceling headphones for your online classes that will surely help you not to be distracted and stay focused during classes.

Here is the best piece that I use for myself to stay away from the noisy world:

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9. Take better notes during classes

It’s a very important tip to be successful in online classes and trust me if you do as I am saying, it will be very effective for your online learning.

While studying in online classes, keep a notebook and pen in your hands, and when you learn something new in class make sure you take it down. With that also write all the important headings and key points in the notebook that you learn in classes.

This note-taking system will not only help you to summarize easily what you have successfully learned in class but it will also help you to understand easily after the class.

Once your class is finished don’t forget to make fair notes about the topic in your free time.

10. Don’t take a heavy meal just before your class

When you take online classes at home make sure you don’t take heavy meals whether the food is tasty or not. Taking a heavy meal can put your body at rest and you will feel sleepy. And, if you do it just before your class then you can’t stay focused in your online classes and may want to sleep first.

So either take a light meal before your classes or take it after your class. Also, add some brain foods and Low GI foods like; beans, berries, nuts, chocolates, green vegetables, sweet fruits, beets, and others. These foods not only improve your brain health but also balance your energy levels throughout the day.

11. Stay hydrated

Drinking water in the right way is the secret to a healthy lifestyle. It’s said that 8 ounces of water 8 times a day will help you to stay healthy and stay away from many diseases. However, there is one more side benefit of drinking water that may surprise you.

Research has shown that drinking plain water helps one’s brain work faster. The study found that when adults drink water, they tend to perform better on mental tests. Since your brain is mostly water, drinking it helps you think, focus and concentrate better and be more alert.

As an added bonus, your energy levels are also boosted. Drinking water will also help you to keep awake while studying in online classes.

12. Complete your sleep at night

If you have your online classes in the daytime and your classes go long just like your offline classes then chances are you may feel sleepy during the classes. And this could happen because of your comfort zone at home.

So, when you have to spend your whole day at home then I must recommend, you should complete your sleep at night, you will get many benefits from it.

But, It doesn’t mean you should wake up late. If your class is in the morning then sleep early and take enough sleep. Once you complete your sleep at night then you will feel refreshed the whole day and never feel sleepy during your online classes.

Now It’s Your Turn:

Online classes have made a new way to continue your studies or pursue any course from the comfort of your home. However, it’s not as easy to have too much distraction at home it’s not easy to concentrate and stay focused in your online classes.

So in this article, we have given you our best 12 tips that must be helpful for you to make your online classes successful.

Now I want to hear from you:

Did you find all our tips useful? And are you going to follow those tips from now on?

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