Most colleges and universities have had to either change their courses or move them online completely because of social distancing rules. For lots of us, this has meant learning and managing our work in completely new ways.
You might be worried about keeping motivated or not learning everything you need but there are some ways to make online learning easier:
- make sure you have what you need
- if you haven’t got a stable internet connection or you don’t have a computer that’s working well enough to connect to your lectures, speak to your tutor or the support services at your uni or college to find out your options
- act like you would if you were there in person: get dressed and remove any distractions. Focusing on your lecture and learning as if you were there in person can help to make sure you’re taking everything in
- remember to take notes just as you would in person
You could also:
Talk to people on your course
Setting up videocalls with people on your course can help to make sure you’ve got the support you need now and in the future. It can also make you feel connected to others going through the same things as you.
Make space to work
Find a quiet place to work and attend lectures. If you don’t have the space at home, negotiate with the people you live with about times when they won’t disturb you.
Create a timetable
Keeping up with your work can be hard, especially when there are lots of different things to do. Planning the times when your lectures are, when you can study and when you can take breaks can help you to feel calmer and more organised.
Work and the pandemic
Finding work can be hard at the moment, and if you’ve got a job then it’s natural to be worried about social distancing. If you’re unemployed, you’ve lost your job or you’re off sick from work and you’re being paid less than you normally would, then you may be able to apply for benefits to help you cope. Find out more about benefits, and take a look at The Mix's advice on finding work.