Online School: Tips to Deal with Distraction During the Pandemic

Written by Natalie Yang

Image courtesy of Pixabay

Hello everyone! My name is Natalie Yang, and I am a junior at the Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart. After my amazing experience as a student in the Inspirit AI Scholars program this past summer, I have become an Inspirit AI ambassador in an effort to further enrich my own computer science knowledge and introduce those in my community to the world of computer science.

Since coding various games in middle school, I have always really enjoyed computer science and have valued it as it is becoming an increasingly important skill in our ever changing world. These past nineteen months with the coronavirus pandemic have been an unprecedented time in our world, which has radically transformed our daily lives.

While this pandemic has had many tragic impacts, one of the biggest impacts on students and children of this generation has been the switch to online school. Online school has impaired the learning experience of students, so I would like to share my three biggest tips in getting the most out of online learning that I have realized over my time as an online student.

Separation between school and homelife

One of the hardest parts of online school is the non-existent boundary or separation between school and homelife. It can be extremely challenging to stay engaged as an active participant in class while being in the same area that is designated to relaxation, sleeping, and other non-school related activities.

In Marty Lobdell’s “Study Less Study Smart” video, he suggests a “study lamp,” which is a lamp that one only turns on when they are actively engaged in studying or school work and do not use it when doing anything but school related assignments. This same idea can be applied to online school by dedicating a lamp or spot in one’s house solely to studying and school. By dedicating a particular spot in your house to studying, it can facilitate differentiating school work from homelife and can limit distractions during online school.

Personally, I used both these tactics as I had a study lamp, which I used when doing school work, and I went to a different room to do my schoolwork and homework, in an effort to reserve my room for relaxation and sleeping. I found both of these proved to be extremely beneficial and help me stay more engaged in my classes and homework.

Cell Phone Distractions

Not only can being at home or in your room distract you from studies, but also the infinite other tangible items at your disposal, such as one’s cell phone can distract you. Due to the online format, teachers cannot regulate everything the students are doing, which can make not paying attention and using a cell phone extremely tempting.

When your phone is sitting right next to you, every notification becomes a distraction and simply more tempting to pick up the phone, which is why another one of my tips is to put your phone far away while doing schoolwork, whether in another room or a drawer.

According to researchers at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin, you are distracted by your smart phone whenever it is in your reach, which greatly hinders your ability to think.

Similarly, these researchers performed a study in which they had everyone take tests, but some people were instructed to power off their phone and put it on the desk next to them, while some were instructed to put their phone in their pocket, and others were instructed to put their phone outside of the room.

The results from this study showed that people who keep their phones in another room scored much higher on the tests than those whose phones were near them. This research proves that phones are a constant distraction, even if you don’t think you are distracted by them, so in order to be most productive and successful, it is important to separate yourself from your phone during online school.

Online School Can be Monotonous

Another challenge of online school is the monotony of it, which causes each day to feel the same. Personally, I found this made me less productive and motivated to get any work done.

A way to combat this lack of motivation and productivity, is to find a good routine to give your day structure. Despite having more free time with online classes, their draining nature can cause lack of productivity, which is why maintaining a routine is so important for improving productivity, and maintaining good mental health.

According to Northwestern Medicine, a lack of a routine can lead to stress, bad sleep, bad eating habits, bad physical condition, and a poor use of time. The bad habits and stress that the absence of a routine can promote in one’s lifestyle can have detrimental effects and avoiding them are crucial to improving the lifestyle of online school and combating its hardships.

Despite the immense challenges of online schooling, there are ways to make it as productive as possible in order to learn as much as possible. I hope many of you try some of these tips to improve your online school experience, and I wish all of you the best of luck this academic year!

Citations:

https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/health-benefits-of-having-a-routine

https://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/heres-why-you-need-to-put-your-phone-away-according-to-science.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlU-zDU6aQ0&t=1112s