How to Learn at Home During COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic has the majority of students learning at home. These tips will help you succeed at school from the confines of your computer screen!

With the outbreak of the coronavirus, schools across the country have transitioned to online learning platforms for the remainder of the academic year. While change isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can certainly be confusing and scary, especially for the social butterflies of the world who hate being isolated! Whether you’re in high school or college, here are some tips for learning from the confines of your computer screen.

Set up a quiet workspace

If you share a room with a sibling (or have little ones running around the house), it can be difficult to stay focused. Try to establish a quiet space for yourself where you‘ll have minimal distractions: an unoccupied office, your at-home gym, or even the laundry room. It doesn’t have to be special, but ask your family to refrain from coming into that space for a designated period of time every day. (Keep in mind that if you choose to make your comfy bed your workspace, you’re likely to fall asleep.) You can also work outside on your balcony, porch, or a blanket in the grass if the weather’s nice. The Vitamin D will do you good!

Get into a routine

One of the biggest challenges students are facing right now is being thrown off their usual routines. While sleeping in, staying in your pajamas, and lounging around the house all day may seem like a dream, you’ll soon realize there’s a reason school has been forcing students into a routine for centuries: routine equals productivity!

Instead of waking up at 8:00 am one day and 2:00 pm the next, try establishing some regularity in your daily schedule. If your online classes are happening at the same time as they normally would in person, make an effort to get ready for the day before they start. Go on a morning run, take a shower, have a cup of coffee, and/or get dressed before sitting down at your computer. You will feel much more motivated to learn if you both dress and play the part.

Related: How to Get Adjusted to a New Schedule

Stay social

You may not be in a classroom full of students and friends anymore, but you can (and should) maintain the social aspect of school virtually. We’re more equipped today to be social from a distance than ever before—it’s 2020 after all! There are a multitude of apps that can make social connection and online learning not only doable but fun, so take advantage of them. Even if you’re not into social media (like me), you can still enjoy things like Netflix Party and FaceTime—two apps I’ve been using nonstop—both to chill out and study with friends. Many school clubs and sports teams are even holding virtual events, so check those out and mark up your calendar! It’s also not a bad idea to pencil in phone dates with friends and family to keep in touch; just actually pencil them in so you commit to them and don’t forget.

Don’t lose sight of your goals

Just because school has moved online for the rest of the year doesn’t mean you should slack off. We’re all still students—whether we’re in a physical classroom or not—and while it may feel as though the world is ending and nothing matters anymore, the reality is: this pandemic will end.

When everything is under control and we return to normal life again, you may be applying to college, an internship, a job, or graduate school. What you do now to prepare for that day is up to you. Think about how far you’ve come in your academic journey so far—wouldn’t it be a shame to quit now? Remind yourself of the goals you’ve been working toward all year and keep at it!

Related: How to Set Reasonable Expectations for the New School Year

Working your hardest is all about your mindset, and with these tips, hopefully you can get back in the headspace of a dedicated student. As Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't—you're right.” Stay safe and best of luck!

Have questions or concerns, or just need a friend right now? Feel free to email us. We're all in this together!

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About Janna Shakiba

Janna Shakiba

Janna Shakiba is a first-year undergrad at UCLA double-majoring in Neuroscience and English. She loves writing and is extremely excited to be a CollegeXpress student blogger. In her free time, Janna likes to sing, play instruments, write poetry, and spend time with the many amazing people in her life.

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress
Keaun Brown

Keaun Brown

$2,000 Community Service Scholarship Winner, 2020

As I transition to furthering my education, I can say with certainty that it simply wouldn’t be possible without the help of generous organizations such as CollegeXpress. Those who initially founded CX had no idea their platform would give a plethora of information to a first-generation homeless kid native to the ghettos of over half a dozen states. Everyone at CX and Carnegie Dartlet gave me a chance at a future when the statistics said I had none. And for that, I thank them.

Laura Wallace

Laura Wallace

High School Class of 2019

My favorite part of CollegeXpress is that it features student writers so I get an inside perspective from students slightly older and farther along than me. I realize that other college websites also utilize student writers; however, I relate the most to the college writers that I read articles from on CollegeXpress.

Ariyane

Ariyane

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress really helped me by letting me know the colleges ratings and placements. They gave me accurate information on my colleges tuition rates and acceptance. They even let me know the ration between students and faculty and the diversity of the college. Overall they told me everything I needed and things I didnt even think I needed to know about my college and other colleges I applied for.

Maliha

Maliha

High School Class of 2019

My college search began at CollegeXpress. Due to this helpful tool, I was able to gather a lot of information to guide my college planning decisions. Through CollegeXpress, I was also able to apply to several scholarships to help pay for my tuition. I would definitely recommend this website to anyone who wants to explore colleges and get more information from admission experts, counselors, and real students.

Alexandra Adriano

Alexandra Adriano

$2,000 Community Service Scholarship Winner, 2016

I've used CollegeXpress quite a bit as a senior, particularly for colleges and scholarships, so it's been a very big asset in that respect! I would recommend it to anyone looking to pursue a college education, especially seniors! This scholarship will help me achieve my goals in ways I couldn't have before, and I know that there are opportunities like that for everyone on the website and in the magazines!

College Matches
X

Colleges You May Be Interested In

Alfred University

Alfred, NY

Mercy University

Dobbs Ferry, NY

Agnes Scott College

Atlanta, GA

Hollins University

Roanoke, VA