By Savannah Celeste Scott
2020 has been an incredibly rocky year. From the coronavirus to forest fires to elections, it seems like complete chaos everywhere. With all the noise in our world right now, how can we succeed in school? If you’ve been asking this question, then keep reading because today, I will be sharing 5 tips to help you succeed as a digital learner!
Tip #1: Make a schedule!
The very first thing to help you succeed as a digital learner, actually succeed in general, is to craft a schedule specific to your strengths and weaknesses. If you are a night owl, do not try to wake up at 5:30 in the morning. If you are a morning person, do not set your alarm for 12 in the afternoon. You know yourself, so create a schedule that fits you personally. In your schedule you should include how long you intend to spend on each subject, breaks, some type of workout, time to facetime and text friends, and recreational time to spend with your family. You are not a machine, so do not spend 11+ hours on school work and never spend time on yourself. Do everything in moderation. Decide that on Wednesday you will get up at 7:00 AM, workout, and spend 8 hours doing school so that you are done by 4 in the afternoon and can do what you want. This tip has been very beneficial to me and will definitely help you on your digital learning journey!
Tip #2: Organize
Organization is the key to being a successful student, whether you are in a classroom or at home. You need to pick a certain day of the week where you will commit yourself to organizing your study space, your notebooks, and your room. Studies show that those in a clean environment tend to have more motivation and success in school. Saturday is my organization day, which means that when I get up on Saturday, I am going to be organizing my room, notes, study tools, and study space so that when Monday hits, I will be ready to conquer the week. As much as you may hate organizing, it is good for you, and when everything is clean, you will feel less stressed and ready to tackle the week!
Tip #3: Change Your Surroundings
Studying can get boring if you are always in the same place, so every now and again try to change your surroundings! If you usually study in your room, go study at the kitchen table and plug in your headphones so the noise doesn’t disturb anyone. Sometimes, it is too pretty outside to be indoors, so go study on your porch! You get fresh air and the inspiration to be productive; it’s like a 2-for-1 special. By studying outside, you can connect with nature and admire the beauty that God has blessed us with! Changing your atmosphere definitely services your studying habits.
Tip #4: Be Proactive
If you want the results, you have to put in the time and work. Be a proactive student. If you have a test coming up, study daily in preparation for it. If you have an assignment due on Monday night, try not to wait until Sunday to do it. The more you procrastinate and put things off, the worse off you will be. Check your grades, stay in regular contact with your teachers regarding all your assignments, and watch your digital learning videos. Do whatever you need to do to be proactive. This will majorly increase your productivity and help you become a more successful student.
Tip #5: Be Consistent
We have come to the final tip in this article and that is: be consistent. If you do all of these steps for a week and then stop suddenly, you are hindering all the progress you’ve made. Make sure you are being consistent in your study habits; practice makes progress! Once you become accustomed to this new routine, it will become normal and it will be hard for you to believe you ever had a disorganized way of studying/living! Moral of the story is consistency is key.
You have made it to the end of the article; give yourself a round of applause! Do not stress about the school year; just practice healthy habits, pray, and let God take care of the rest! To our awesome digital and in-person learners, do your best this year! You got this!
