How to take a remote course successfully?

A lot of secondary school and university students must adapt to the current health situation. Perhaps you also had to find a new working method? Having less human contact than before disrupts our routine, particularly our studying habits. Indeed, attending courses for hours on end in front of a screen can be easily discouraging and exhausting.

Well then, how can we find our new working rhythm with all these changes? And above all, how can we get motivated? 👇

Do not forget your previous habits, since they can be adapted to the current situation and make things easier.

You should work at home in conditions similar to when you attend a course at secondary school or university.

Therefore, establish a well-defined borderline between your living space (sitting room, bedroom) and your working space (office). Make sure that there is a power socket nearby 😉. And why not relocate one of your bookshelves to reinforce this idea of separation between spaces?

Your goal is to keep your working space as far as possible from your bed, since everybody knows that videoconferencing from your bed can be very tempting!

So do not overlook your working spot and make it comfortable and cosy, that way you will feel like spending several hours there.  Do not forget to tidy it up at the end of the day for it to be ready for your next workday. 📚

Just as you would not use your phone during a history class at school, do not take your phone to your working space. Having it around you is very tempting. Only one tap on a social network and that will be it, you will lose the thread of your professor’s explanation. Same applies to the TV: turn it off. When attending a course, you should avoid any other activity. 🚫

Furthermore, pay attention during your course to avoid any nasty surprises when your exam is nearing. So take notes! Take notes by hand, for it really boosts your memory. 🖋️

This method will allow you to stay focused so you will not need to follow the course 100% from your computer. As a matter of fact, this “hybrid” technique somewhat emulates the traditional note-taking technique used in class. 👨‍

Besides, thanks to the web version of SCRIBZEE, you can easily scan through your pages and make notes on them by adding text, highlighting, and underlining. Not to mention the possibility of exporting your documents in PDF format to share your notes with your friends! 👫

Maybe you used to go to a café or a library to prepare for an exam with friends and exchange ideas. Do not panic! Revising for an exam from home is not an impossible mission!

As in every revision for an exam, you should know yourself in order to work well. Depending on your profile, you will be more receptive to certain working methods.

Starting your revision right after the end of the course might be tempting to save time and feel as if you are done with it already.  But actually, this is not advisable. That is right, it is important for your brain to rest and get some fresh air. Taking naps, for example, will boost your memory, for it will regenerate your brain cells and reorganise your thoughts.

👉 So, choose an activity that feels good, taking a break is important 😊

After the course has finished, we recommend you make sure it is clear to you. We know that during videoconference courses your professors tend to go faster and sometimes present content in a more condensed format. 📚

Therefore, that very evening take a blank sheet of paper and write down all you can remember from the course. Then correct yourself. This method helps you learn the contents of your course in a more sustainable way. After that, go back to your lesson and summarise it.

You can use flash cards to summarise your courses. For that, we recommend you consult your own notes, your teacher’s course material if possible and even your classmates’ course notes, in order not to miss any information.

Studying the course by testing yourself using flashcards allows you to consolidate your knowledge.

In addition, with the free SCRIBZEE app you can scan through your FLASH 2.0 OXFORD flashcards and gain access to two modes of learning. The REVISION mode allows you to access customisable revision sessions based on your level of knowledge. Ideal for memorising your flashcards permanently. Thanks to the QUIZ mode, you can test your knowledge yourself or with your friends, by video call, for example!, An efficient and amusing way of recreating an exam revision and motivating you as if you were all together. 💪

The Pomodoro method is a time management method. Dating from the 1970s, it was developed by Francesco Cirillo, an Italian developer and businessman.

It has been used by lots of students but also by professionals. It consists in splitting up your work in intervals, usually of 25 minutes each. During this period, the goal is to focus on only one task in order to beat procrastination and get a sense of accomplishment. 💪

Therefore, during 25 minutes you will focus on only one subject and will repeat your sessions 4 times in a row: that is, 4 pomodori.

Between each working session, take a 5-minute break and take up another task. If something or someone interrupts you during your working session, keep a record of the task and put it off or, if that is not possible, restart the pomodoro from the beginning. ⏲️

If you live with other people, let them know that you cannot be interrupted, in order to be as isolated as possible. You can also change your pace and adapt the duration of each session to your work, for example.

Some apps are useful when it comes to keeping up the pace and avoiding distractions (especially from your phone 📴):

• Forest: even though it looks like a classic timer, this app has an added value 😉. When you start the timer, a tree starts to grow! And if you want to close the app, you have to kill the tree. 🌳 You can also share working sessions with your friends. It is a race to see who can grow more trees.
• FocusByte: start a working session and try to unlock the corresponding treasure! If you close the app, you lose the treasure. But if you finish your session, you will unlock new avatars. Transform your annoying tasks into an adventure! 🗺️

At any rate, the keys to attend remote courses successfully are at arm’s length. You probably know it already: what is most important is to stay motivated by organising well your personal and studying activities. Good luck and keep this in mind: this advice also applies to face-to-face courses. 😊