5 Tech Tips for Students Taking Online Learning

The world of education is rapidly changing with online learning becoming the new normal. The drastic shift started during the COVID19 pandemic. The trend isn’t going to go away any time soon either. This is partly because people are realizing the benefits that this lecturing approach has to offer. Not only is it going to be easier to teach from anywhere in the world, but it will also be possible to offer high quality education to a lot more people than before. This is a great way to generate and also hire talent. Brilliant students and teachers from around the world will be able to connect in a much safer and more convenient way. The only thing to deeply consider about this method of learning is that students will have to develop some independent learning strategies. This might seem complicated because not every student is tech-savvy. However, modern online educational platforms are designed in such a way that they can offer the same quality of education in far simpler ways, available to anyone. Here are six tech tips for students that can help them optimize their online learning. 

Invest in good internet connection

The most important thing for online learning is rather technical in nature. You have to ensure that you have a good and stable internet connection. This is especially important if you are listening to lectures live. Some of the most favored platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet require students to have a steady connection with a stable download and upload speeds. Upload speeds are especially important if you want to contribute to your class. There are many ways students can do this. For instance, platforms such as Zoom offer the ability to share your screen which is a great tool when you are giving presentations for the rest of the class to see. In addition, you will need to have a good connection if you want to show your face since many schools require you to turn on your camera during class for easier attendance tracking. There is no limit as to what these online tools can do. That is why it is a good idea to examine your current network using quick web speed measurement applications. You can do this frequently to gain an understanding of what the optimal speeds should be. 

Use the best resources

Choosing the adequate source for your online education is going to be the crucial factor towards your success. That is why it is important to conduct initial research and write down your ideas on paper first. Consider what you would like to learn. Ideally, you should choose a course that allows you to focus and stay consistent while also allowing you to reach your educational goals. To reinforce what you have learned it is a good idea to leverage online platforms which encourage sharing lesson notes as is exemplified by the extremely valuable OSSD resources used by students in Canada to achieve maximal results while learning remotely. Online tools like these really help bring students together from various different places. Furthermore, try to be specific about the particular skills that you would like to acquire. In addition, it is a good idea to set a date by which you would like to achieve this goal.  

Keep to a schedule

With self-paced learning programs, you might want to consider the significance of following a schedule. In particular for those students who are following several different courses. A good place to start is by blocking off a period of time dedicated for each course. There are usually two groups of students; those who like to procrastinate and those that cannot stop learning a specific course, which leads to burnout. Both of these are inefficient. In order to not get lost while studying it is quite useful to negotiate with yourself about the time you could and that you would dedicate to a specific course. This is the only way to stay consistent and feel eager to keep coming back to learn more. You can use powerful online tools such as Google Calendar or Notion to keep track of your goals over time. 

Choose the right equipment

Apart from ensuring that you have good internet connection, it is also really important to invest in some good quality equipment. The essential first step is getting a good computer. Ideally a laptop, because they are portable and have everything you need in one device. You also won’t have to worry about buying additional peripherals such as a web camera and a microphone. However, if you have to frequently change where you have to study from and you find yourself in a room full of people from time to time, getting a good pair of headphones is going to be a good investment.  

Adopt a good mindset for learning

Good tech can help you learn a lot from a remote place. It is also a smart move to implement a good mindset to go with it. In order to learn in the best possible way while you are all by yourself it is important to adopt a positive mindset which is going to keep you motivated to learn when you get stuck. This mindset revolves around a trick, which helps you focus on what is positive about your learning. For instance, you can say to yourself: “Now I know this lesson and I am closer to where I want to be” or “I know more compared to last week” this is a good way to reward yourself mentally. 

Although learning online can be difficult at first, there are amazing benefits to it that make it well worth it. You just have to focus on a few key steps that will help you learn more efficiently completely remotely: use the best resources, invest in a high-speed internet connection, make a schedule, choose the right equipment and adopt a true learner’s mindset that will motivate you to continue learning more.