1.  Diarise your study time

It is just too easy to put off watching that lecture or completing a module of online learning because you think, “I’ll do that later”.  So, get yourself organised, map out assignment deadline dates and chunk down your course modules into manageable bite-sized pieces.  Then put time in your diary and even go so far as to send yourself an appointment with a list of what you need to do during that time.

 

2.  Organise your study space

Having a well-organised, comfortable study space, with all your books, notes, laptop and materials to hand will make getting down to study so much easier.  Also make sure you have a filing system for both printed matter and online information, so you can locate your assignment or the research notes for the assignment quickly and easily.

 

3.  Understand the way you learn best

We all learn differently, some of us are visual learners, some auditory.  Some people learn best by taking copious notes during lectures, some by practicing what they have just learned by going over things again and again.  We also perform differently at different times of the day.  You may be an early bird, who works at their best in the morning, or you may be a night owl.  Use this knowledge of how you learn best when diarising your study time.

4.  Find a study buddy

Study online has a number of advantages, not least of which is the flexibility it offers students in terms of where and when they study.  However, it can sometimes feel quite isolating.  One way to overcome this is to regularly participate in online forums and engage with fellow classmates.  Another is to find a study buddy.  This maybe someone that you meet up with in the library or could even be as simple as getting together on Zoom to go over your latest lecture, tutorial or online course work.  You could even take turns at setting each other quizzes and make it fun!