How to study online to achieve better results

Studying online can suit many people’s lifestyles, but it requires a slightly different approach to studying on-campus. You’ll want to ensure that you’re self-motivated, and getting the work done, rather than letting it stack up.

To help make your online studying experience the best one possible, we’ve put together some tips to help make studying online a success!

What are the best tips to succeed when studying online?

1. Avoid distractions like your phone and social media.

Life is filled with distractions, so it’s important to know what tools you use to procrastinate. Whether it’s your phone, social media websites on your computer, TV shows or anything else, putting these things out of your line of sight when you’re studying means you’ll be able to focus.

It’s equally as important, however, to reward yourself with breaks when you’re studying, so you feel motivated to keep on going. Study apps allow you to track how long you’ve been studying, as well as when it’s time to give yourself a break, so you feel fresh, rather than fatigued.

2. Write a to-do list.

If you’re someone that can easily forget different tasks, then writing a to-do list will help keep you on track. Whether it’s a daily, weekly or monthly list, having a document that keeps you accountable will mean you’re able to tick things off when they’re done, which is a great feeling. After all, who doesn’t like the feeling of achieving something that you’ve been meaning to do for a while?

3. Speak to your tutors/peers.

Studying online can feel isolating, but it doesn’t need to be. Reaching out to your tutors and peers in your course is a great way to clear up anything that you might not understand about the content, as well as socialise with other people looking to head into your chosen field. Networking is a great way to find work in the future, so why not start while you’re studying!

4. Create a space to study.

When you’re studying online, it can be tempting to study from the couch/bedroom – after all, no-one’s going to see, right? However, if you’re able to create a space for you to study separate from your other living areas, then you’ll find yourself able to get into the zone when it’s time to study, as well as switch off when you’re finished.

5. Don’t neglect your other priorities.

While everyone wants to achieve the best results they can when studying online, you don’t want to put other parts of your life on hold to do so, especially when the flexibility of studying online is one of the major drawcards in the first place.

Taking care of other aspects of your life will ensure that when you’re putting in the time studying, you’ll be able to concentrate rather than fixating on the other things you could be doing instead.

What are the benefits of studying online?

There are many benefits when studying online, especially if you’re someone that lives a busy lifestyle. Some of the major benefits of learning online include:

• Flexibility – Online learning allows you to learn in your own way, and on your own time, rather than having to stick to a rigid schedule. That way, you don’t have to put the rest of your life on hold.
• Lower costs – Because education providers aren’t paying for campus maintenance, as well as building costs, they can pass the savings on tuition onto you. This means that online learning is more affordable for everyone.
• Different forms of media – Video content can often be more engaging than even the most captivating of lectures, and online learning allows tutors to make the most of engaging video content. These videos can also be accessed at anytime, anywhere.
• Global access – Have you ever wanted to study overseas, but didn’t want to move? Thanks to online learning, you can! People from all across the globe can enrol in the same online courses, so you can study ‘overseas’ without having to take the life-altering courses that would usually be involved.

Is studying online effective?

Studying online has become more and more popular in recent years, and it’s certainly an effective way to learn. IBM found that students learn 5x more material in online learning courses using multimedia content than in-person courses, because online courses give people the power to work at their own pace, rather than being determined by the class. Online learning also requires less time investment from students when compared to in-person learning, because of the travel time, as well as time spent waiting between classes. 

How well you’ll do when studying online can depend on how self-motivated you are, and whether your personality is suited to online courses. Before you enrol in a course, you’ll want to assess your studying habits, and what you can do to improve (like using the tips above). Once you take a look at improving your habits, you’ll be primed for success!

Looking for more studying tips/hacks?

Upskilled’s blog, SkillsTalk, provides invaluable tips and tricks to help you improve your career aspirations, as well as enhance the study experience. If you’re looking to learn more, you can visit the blog here. It’s time to start studying smarter!