How to Manage Online Classes From Home

Taking online classes? Stuck during quarantine? It’s crucial to know how to manage online classes from home and here’s how you do it…

But before we start, I just wanted to say stay safe and good luck to everyone reading this who is in quarantine right now.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s take a look at these 7 Tips for Online Class Management:

Treat It Like Any Other Class

Just because it’s an online course, doesn’t mean it’s time to slack off. Yes, it definitely offers you more freedom in your schedule, but that can be a bad thing if you don’t know how to manage it.

Time management will be your best friend for this:

Organize your schedule
Prioritize your to-do list
Set reminders
Avoid distractions
Use effective studying techniques
And more

I recommend waking up at the same time everyday to get in the habit of following a schedule. Focus on each class like you were actually sitting in a classroom.

That “fake it until you make it” mentality will really help you be successful at managing online classes.

Keep Your Days in Check

This tip saved my grades during college! For every online class you have, set aside specific days to complete your assignments.

Usually you can decide which days are best for each class based on the assignment due dates. Your professor will usually require that most of the assignments should be submitted by a specific day.

Use that as a guideline to pick out the best day (and preferably time) to get things done. Of course, some assignments will need to be done a bit out of your schedule, so just look out for that.

For example: I had 4 online classes. One professor had most things due on Tuesday, while others had due dates set for Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

After finding that out, I just scheduled my assignments accordingly (usually completing things a day or 2 early).

Turn On Your Notifications!

No this isn’t an Instagram plug. Turn on your notifications for whatever online course platform you’re using. Almost every application out there to manage online classes will have notification settings.

Turn them on to be alerted about new assignments posted, upcoming due dates, extra credit opportunities, and to simply stay on track.

I know a lot of people who missed a lot of points because they weren’t on top of their shit, and it sucks. Don’t be like them, because notifications are the easiest things to turn on and it’ll save your grades.

Even if you get your class information through emails, there’s usually a way to star those specific emails or turn on some sort of notification as well.

Get Ahead

Taking online classes offers a lot of advantages like managing your own daily schedule. However, that can lead to procrastination which is always the enemy.

What I recommend… get ahead. Don’t complete assignments right before they’re due. Pretend that they’re due at least the day before.

It’s really easy to slip up and say “I got time” when in reality, you don’t. The due date will creep up on you before you know it and there goes 10% of your grade.

Take advantage of your ability to manage online classes properly instead of letting it take advantage of you!

Utilize Outside Sources

If you can, utilize outside sources while you’re taking quizzes, tests, and writing essays. Open new tabs and look up certain topics.

Sometimes, quiz questions can be literally copy and pasted into a new tab and you’ll find the exact answer on places like Quizlet, Chegg, or other educational sites.

If your teacher makes the tests themselves, or they have no choice because everyone is in quarantine, you probably won’t have any luck doing this. However, it still doesn’t hurt to look up topics and see if you can find useful information to save you a few points.

Is this considered cheating? Some may think of it that way. I think if you’re already taking online classes and your teacher knows what they’re getting themselves into, that’s kind of on them and you’re just using the sources available to you.

Think of it this way…

If you were in a real class and you were allowed to have your laptop out, it wouldn’t be cheating. Or you can say it’s the same things as getting a “take home” test/essay.

Find a Friend

Friends can make or break your grades when managing online courses. If you don’t have a virtual class buddy, consider getting one.

What are the advantages of having a friend in an online class? Here are a few:

Splitting the workload
Sharing test answers
Sharing studying advice/ study guides
Doing assignments at the same time
Recommendations for future classes

Just those 5 advantages alone are enough to convince me to find a friend! I mean, who doesn’t want to do half the work, while still being able to learn everything.

If you don’t know anyone at the start of the class, don’t be afraid to reach out to some people. The more friends the better. Plus, I bet there are other students who are looking for an online class buddy too.

Be the first to reach out, make friends, start a group chat, share answers, study guides, and anything else you can think of.

Reach Out to Your Professors

Remember, treating your online classes like real classes is the first step. If you have questions about the best strategies for managing a specific class, or the best way to be successful, your professor knows those answers best.

Professors are (usually) there for you, especially online where the communication can be a little messy. Plus, if you end up getting along with your professor, they can be great for recommendation letters in the future.

Yes, you can get recommendations letters from online professors! You don’t have to talk to anyone in person and can get into good colleges/jobs… sounds like an introverts dream?.

The point is, there are many parts of a class that you can take advantage of if you just take the time to utilize them.

There you have it! 7 Tips to Successfully Manage Online Classes from Home. I’ve taken so many online classes already that I feel like an expert at this point. So if you have further questions don’t hesitate to email me or leave a comment below!

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions leave them down below. Thanks for reading!