Avoiding Burnout and Keeping Up with Class During an Online Semester

By Victoria Robertson on August 28, 2020

Times have changed pretty drastically, which has impacted many of our everyday activities, inclusive of education. For those attending college this semester, you are likely experiencing an influx of (if not total transition to) online classes. With that in mind, it’s also important to change your way of thinking about school. Attending classes every day is vastly different than attending them from the comfort of your dorm, apartment or home, which can thus impact your way of thinking about classes. For instance, many individuals have problems staying motivated without the act of attending class outside of the computer, leading to dips in grades. To help avoid these issues and combat any potential problems, here are ten ways to avoid burnout and keep up with class during an online semester.

Photo Via: Pixabay

1. Start a Routine

It’s important to maintain a routine, even when you aren’t attending regularly scheduled classes in person. It helps if your classes are still held at a certain time of day, but for those working with a flexible class schedule, you should log in and get to work at the same time every day to maintain a routine. Starting a routine also means getting up at the same time daily, going through your “getting ready” process, even if you aren’t leaving your apartment/dorm, and keeping the same schedule throughout the week to avoid confusion or messed up sleeping patterns. While a lot of that is easier said than done, the more you’re able to stick to a routine, the better off you’re going to be.

2. Take Breaks

While it might seem counterproductive, you should be taking breaks throughout the day. If you’re the type of person that has a full course load and works all the time, you’ll want to take a step back and take some time for yourself. For some, this means stepping away from the computer to watch some TV, read or book or go for a walk. For others, this means talking with your roommates or going out to eat with friends. Whatever method of distraction you use, you should be taking those breaks often. The caveat is that you shouldn’t take breaks so often that you get nothing accomplished. Make sure that you have an equal balance of breaks and work and that you are as productive as possible when you’re back down to your classwork.

3. Get Outside

Fresh air can really be the difference between going stir crazy and enjoying the day, which is why you should get outside as often as you’re able to throughout the day. Again, this could mean taking a quick break and going for a walk, or maybe even eating lunch outside to get away. In addition, “getting outside” doesn’t necessarily mean you have to spend time outdoors. Instead, this is meant to say that you shouldn’t spend all day, every day, locked up in your apartment or dorm, as that will get very old, very fast. Make sure to leave your apartment every day, whether to get groceries, go for a walk, pick up lunch, etc., just to make sure you’re not experiencing cabin fever.

4. Avoid Distraction

We’ve talked quite a bit about taking breaks throughout the day, but that is far different than giving into distractions. For instance, taking a daily break at 11 a.m. to go for a walk is far different than checking your social media accounts for the tenth time during your online lecture. When working from a computer, distractions are literally limitless. Anything you can think to look up on the internet can be done, and that’s extremely distracting to some, especially if you aren’t that interested in the class you’re taking. So, if you’re taking gen eds that you aren’t particularly interested in, don’t fall victim to those online distractions and make sure you take precautions to avoid them, whenever possible. You can set your phone to the side, avoid opening other browsers and simply lock in on the class in front of you, allowing yourself that distracting reward when the class is over.

5. Communicate with Others

Taking online classes can be lonely. While you may think that hearing your professor every day is enough human interaction, it certainly isn’t. More often than not, individuals that don’t interact with people throughout the day are far too easily distracted. Humans are innately social beings, so when we take that component away, it’s hard for us to concentrate and can feel overwhelming. In the most basic terms, we need to communicate with others, so it’s important to fit that element into your day. For this reason, during your breaks, you should ensure you are communicating with others. Whether you’re just having a quick chat with your roommates or calling back home for a quick conversation, that social interaction is a big deal, and one that you shouldn’t take for granted. When in doubt, you should definitely talk it out!

Infographic Via Canva

6. Keep a Calendar

One of the biggest reasons that students fall behind in online classes is due to poor time management. For some, having a professor reminding them about an assignment before they walk out the door is what they need to remember it’s due, which is a component that isn’t present in online coursework. The best method for staying ahead of this issue is to keep a calendar that outlines not only all of your assignments, but also their due dates.

You can have a separate calendar for each class, or one calendar for all of your classes. Some individuals also have a separate calendar for events, such as presentations, quizzes and tests. You can organize it however you’d like, include whatever information you typically need reminders for and post it front and center so you know exactly what your week looks like. These are fantastic organizational tools, but they are also necessary to ensure nothing slips through the cracks, especially when you don’t have those constant, in-person reminders.

Whatever your organization tactics are, a calendar or checklist is a great way to make sure you are staying on top of all of your assignments and upcoming events, without the issue of falling behind.

7. Change Scenery

As previously mentioned, you should have a schedule that you stick to every day. That being said, a change of scenery is never a bad thing, especially when you’re taking all of your classes from your apartment/dorm. While you should have a designated workspace, usually a desk inside a quiet, non-shared room, it does help to step out of that room on occasion to change the scenery. Some students enjoy a trip to the library to work from there, while others simply want to work from the balcony.

You want to avoid resorting to “comfy” areas, such as the couch or the bed, but switching to another productive area is only going to help you in the long run. Working from the couch or a bed can lead you to fall into unhealthy patterns and habits that ultimately result in laziness and a negative, burnt-out mindset, which does nothing to help you succeed. Again, don’t change the scenery every day, as that negates your routine, but on occasion, don’t be afraid to switch things up in order to stay on top of everything without experiencing burnout.

8. Stock up on Supplies

Back to school shopping doesn’t have to be limited to actually attending classes in person. In fact, gathering fresh, new school supplies can be quite motivating. Now more than ever, it helps for students to stock up on school supplies to make sure they are on top of all of their classwork. This means that planners, highlighters, new notebooks and folders should be on the top of your list rather than the bottom. The main reason is that these tools will help you stay on top of your work as well as to stay as organized as possible.

Organization is frequently undervalued, which is part of the reason students lose track of things when studying from home. So while it may not feel important to stock up on school supplies before this semester, all you need to do is simply shift your way of thinking and purchase the school supplies that are going to help you be as productive, organized and motivated as possible.

So, if you like writing in gel pens, buy them! It’ll help you stay on top of note-taking and also ensure you actually enjoy it. If you prefer to organize folders for each class, make sure you still pick up enough folders to cover all of your classes! Don’t skimp on supplies just because you won’t be attending class in person!

9. Work Together

As previously mentioned, students are human, which means that they need human interaction, wherever possible. Taking classes on your own is usually freeing and helps you to feel independent, but when taking those courses online and alone, it can feel more lonely than anything else. If at all possible, you should consider taking classes with your roommates or friends so you can work on homework, readings and test prep together. Even if you can’t schedule your classes for the same time, this is an immense help in terms of social interaction.

That all being said, that’s not always possible, especially if you’re all studying different majors. In that case, you can still work together, just not necessarily on the same materials. Getting study groups together, or even quizzing one another to help the other test prep is a great way to get work done while also getting that needed human interaction. It’s also worth noting that, these days, social interaction is a bit of a taboo, so, to ensure you and your friends and/or roommates are being as safe as possible, limit your interactions to those that you’re in close proximity to frequently.

In other words, don’t bring in every straggler into your study group. But in short, it’s always better to have human interaction in your classwork, and you’ll likely find it’s a great motivational tool as well, making your work fun and ensuring everything gets done.

Photo Via: Pixabay

10. Stay Positive

Last, but certainly not least, it’s more important than ever to have a positive mindset. An online semester is unnerving and daunting, but that’s not to say that it’s a bad thing. In fact, an online semester presents you with plenty of opportunities to excel, so long as you are doing what you can to give yourself the best chance at success. Positivity might seem overrated, but it does have an impact on all that you do. A positive attitude can completely change your outlook on online classes, which in turn alters the effort, energy and dedication that you give to those online classes. Basically, the more positive you are, and the more positively you look at your coursework, the better the position you’re going to be in.

So when implementing all of the above steps, make sure you are doing so with a positive attitude! If you’re experiencing an online semester this fall, you are not alone. And while it’s comforting to know there are others in the same boat as you, that’s not enough to help you stay motivated and on top of your work. Burnout is a serious problem, and even more likely without the act of attending class every day.

In addition, it’s very easy to get distracted when studying from home, just as it’s easy to fall behind and feel unmotivated. The above ten tips are a strong starting point in getting you off on the right foot this semester, but this is a big change that we’re adapting to, both as a society and on college campuses nationwide. As such, you should seek opportunities to give yourself the best chance at success this semester, whatever that means for you.

Good luck in your online classes and, as always, stay safe and healthy this semester!

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