The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many setbacks in our nation – education does not have to be one of them. The basics of education hold true: discipline, organization and commitment. Aristotle may agree. The COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of students into online learning and changed the way we learn–kind of. Here’s some ways to better handle online and hybrid classes. 

No. 1: Start Early 

It’s easy to lay in bed all day and sleep when you don’t have set class times. As a result, you may lose all hours of your day and lose time for doing your schoolwork. It’s best to wake up early and tackle your assignments head–on. Relax in the afternoon or evening. 

No. 2: Utilize the Canvas calendar 

Be visual. A very helpful tool is the calendar on Canvas. Teachers can post due dates, class times and chapters to read, and you can add personal events on your calendar. Receiving alerts from and frequently checking Canvas creates a visual reminder. My calendar has work times, outside school activities, and any additional assignments my instructors didn’t include on their calendars. 

No. 3: The teachers are just as frustrated 

The sudden shift in teaching has not only made students stressed and frustrated but teachers as well. There are new buttons to press like how there are new subjects to learn. Everyone must adapt to new teaching styles, learn how to use Canvas, and communicate with one another. Instructors are just as lost and confused as you are, so it’s best to stay calm and patient. 

No. 4: Degenerate a separate area for schoolwork 

Change of environment. It can be easy to lose focus during virtual lectures or when working on assignments, and that is why it is best to do your work in a separate area like an office or a coffee shop. A new work area will help you stay focused on the task at hand and will minimize distractions. 

No. 5: Have an accountability buddy 

The good kind of peer pressure. Having a friend or classmate remind you when your assignments are due or when you have class is a great way to stay focused. Personally, my accountability buddy is my roommate who also reads my papers and in return, I read his papers and postings. 

No. 6: Relax your mind 

A mental nap. Learning from home can be quite stressful. Other people can make a lot of distracting noise. Staring at a computer screen or typing on a laptop all day is not healthy. I’m referring to those who use their computer for school and entertainment. Ambient noise or your favorite playlist may provide a brief mental break to extend your study hours. Also, try natural sounds like the ocean, running water or wind through the trees. There’s many out there—just Google your pleasure. 

No. 7: Learn how to learn. 

Enough said. The era of the pandemic–online–classroom was thrust upon us. We trained for years to show up and sit in a classroom while an instructor lectured us. The brick and mortar classroom seems like a complicated expense now that I write this column, kind of like pre-Amazon.com. Overnight, the familiar room we knew from kindergarten to NMSU lecture halls turned into a one-dimensional binary kaleidoscope of zeroes and ones. Same message, but we are in mental shock. Still, some will excel and some fail. At the end of the semester, right is still right, and wrong is still wrong. 

My dad once said, “Amazon started off by only selling books on the web.” Get ready, get comfortable.

Do you have any tips that you use for taking online classes?