While online studying has a great many benefits—from not having to zoom (no pun intended) to class on campus every morning to being able to watch lectures on your own time—it's certainly not without challenges.

Namely, when studying online from your dorm room or home, it's difficult to stay motivated, focused, and even physically and mentally healthy. So, to help you be more productive in your online studies and to maintain a more satisfying study-life balance, we've created this cheat sheet with online studying tips. We hope it helps!

FREE DOWNLOAD: This cheat sheet is available as a downloadable PDF from our distribution partner, TradePub. You will have to complete a short form to access it for the first time only. Download the Online Studying Cheat Sheet.

How to Learn Productively When Studying Online

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Tip

Optimize Your Study Space

1

Create a dedicated study space if possible, preferably somewhere quiet and with natural light.

2

Don't study on your bed.

3

Stand while you study by either using a standing desk or by placing your computer on top of books.

4

Add greenery to your desk space.

5

Burn the same scented candle or diffuse the same essential oil during each study session to let your body know it's time to focus.

6

Change your desktop background to something inspiring, like a motivational quote.

7

Keep a water bottle on your desk.

8

If using a laptop, invest in a monitor, keyboard, and mouse to reduce neck strain.

9

Occasionally study in a coffee shop or your campus library.

Get Organized

10

Clean your desktop of excess folders.

11

Create digital folders for each class' documents.

12

Sync your desktop with Google Drive or OneDrive to access your documents from any computer on campus.

13

Keep your notes in one place, either in an app, digital folder, or physical notebook.

14

Create browser tabs for frequently visited sites like your class homepages.

15

Use Google Docs for collaborative group projects.

16

Get the contact info of at least one classmate in each of your classes.

17

Create your own Spotify study playlist of your favorite instrumentals.

Remove Distractions

18

Use an ad-blocker browser extension.

19

Use a website-blocker browser extension to block distracting websites.

20

Enable Do Not Disturb mode on your phone and computer.

21

Use a focus smartphone app like Forest (also a browser extension).

22

Keep your phone in a different room during study sessions.

23

Close browser tabs when you're finished with them to reduce visual clutter.

24

Wear a pair of noise-cancelling headphones.

25

Listen to nature sounds or instrumental focus music.

26

Wear a hoodie over your head so that you don't get distracted by things in your peripheral vision.

27

Don't watch TV while studying.

28

Check email or text messages only twice during the workday.

Study Smartly

29

Read the class material.

30

Discuss readings with classmates.

31

Use spaced repetition by reviewing your notes, flashcards, and study guides over several weeks or days.

32

Use active recall by quizzing yourself on the material.

33

Use digital flashcards like Anki or Quizlet.

34

If you can still comprehend your professor, bump up online lectures to 2x speed if possible.

35

Handwrite notes during lectures, then retype them into a digital document as review.

36

Use the Cornell note taking system.

37

Dress in clothes you'd wear to class to trick your mind into getting focused.

38

Occasionally reward yourself for your hard work.

39

Rent digital textbooks to save money.

40

Turn your camera on during Zoom lectures to encourage you to stay present and focused.

Manage Your Time Well

41

Use a Google Calendar or a monthly physical calendar to plan out important assignment due dates in one place.

42

Make a to-do list every day, starring one item that absolutely must get done that day.

43

Complete the most difficult or pressing task first.

44

Remember Parkinson's Law: "Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion."

45

Use the Pomodoro Technique: 25 minutes of focused work followed by five minutes of rest.

46

Use calendar-blocking to plan out when exactly to study what subjects during the day.

47

Use calendar-blocking to schedule breaks as well!

48

Learn to say no to commitments that will eat into your study time.

49

Prioritize assignments that have a significant impact on your overall grade.

Stay Healthy

50

Do a brief exercise during short breaks (pushups, pull-ups, jump rope, jumping jacks, etc.)

51

Go for a run, walk, or bike ride on a longer break.

52

Meditate.

53

Eat healthy snacks like fruits, nuts, and smoothies during study sessions.

54

Get enough sleep (seven to nine hours) each night.

55

Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

56

Wake up to a physical alarm clock rather than your phone.

57

Stay in touch with friends and family over Zoom.

58

Take caffeine only when necessary, and never in the evening.

59

Drink lots of water.

60

Take up a creative hobby like drawing, painting, cooking, or playing an instrument to alleviate stress and anxiety.

Take Advantage of Online Resources

61

Have online tutors review your difficult assignments to get a knowledgeable helping hand.

62

Watch free videos from Khan Academy, Crash Course, and other educational YouTube channels to help you understand course content.

63

Use SparkNotes or Shmoop to supplement, not substitute for, reading your textbooks.

64

Use websites like Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica, and Encyclopedia.com to gain a general understanding of difficult concepts.

65

If you need more coursework, Harvard edX, Stanford Online, Coursera, and Udemy offer several free online courses.

Strive for a Healthy Study-Life Balance

We hope this cheat sheet helps you stay focused, motivated, and healthy during your online studies. Just keep in mind that the tips for being productive are just as important as those for keeping physically and mentally healthy. Don't overwork yourself and run into burnout!

If you need to use video conferencing software for your online classes, there's lots of tips you can follow to stay sane: keep your environment pleasant, manage your time well, and take regular breaks.