7 Hacks for Staying Alert in An Online Class

1. Close those links–We all know that people LOVE to multitask. But to stay alert in an online class, you’ve got to FOCUS and that means doing. ONE. THING!
2. Take notes by hand--Yes, I mean write them down. Studies from really smart people say that the act of writing notes down helps you to remember more than just looking at something. That’s why when you study, if you copy your notes over again, you have a better chance of remembering them than if you just look at them. Are you doubting me? Okay, Thomas, check out here in this article by Allison Eck, called “For More Effective Studying, Take Notes with Pen and Paper” (6/3/14)
3. DO NOT SIT ALL DAY LONG! You will absolutely go crazy! Use your breaks and use every minute of them moving yourself all over the place, preferably outside, and GET OUTTA THAT CHAIR! Or you could be like the Notorious RBG and do 20 pushups! Watch the clock and be on time for your next class. Chances are you will feel full of energy when you start your next class!
4. Set up your learning space– Set up your learning space as you like it so that you can sit down and get your learning on. Take pride in your learning space and make your bed! Seriously, you do not want stinky shoes, socks, and other dirty unmentionables scattered around where people on the Google Meets can see them.  And if you can’t have your own room as your learning space, carve out another place in your house as your learning space.  In my house, we are learning out of two bedrooms, the kitchen table, and the downstairs sofa, just so that everyone has their own quiet space for Google Meets. I think the laundry room and the storage room would make good learning spaces, too, if they had a table and a light.
5. Make a List–Hey, I get it! My mind wanders too! I’ve got a gazillion things to do, and no time to do them anymore. Now I write a list when things pop into my mind, so I don’t have to spend any effort remembering things. I keep a little notebook that fits into my backpack and keep it open, and when I think of something, I write it down right away. Later, when class is over, I can figure out when I need to take care of it and prioritize what has popped into my head. Then I start crossing off what I do, and that makes me feel good to see all of those tasks finished!
6. Participate in Class–Another way to stay alert in class is to look for opportunities to participate in class. Make it a game with yourself and try to participate at least once or twice per class. The teacher will appreciate it and you will learn more as well.
7. Make sure to Catch your ZZZZZZZ’s–Seriously, you cannot stay alert in class if you’re up all night playing Assassin’s Creed. And why are you playing Assassin’s Creed still when there’s Animal Crossing out there? Getting back on track, you need your hours of sleep if you want to be able to be alert for class.  If you’re going on a shoestring of four hours of sleep, no wonder you’re not very alert!  You have a responsibility to take your job as a student seriously and to get this job done. If you’re not sleeping, this can lead to just plain emotional exhaustion too and it can domino into physical sickness. With the COVID-19 out there stalking everyone, this is not a good time to let your guard down.

With these seven hacks, you can be very successful at being alert in your remote learning classes and ready to go when your teacher starts your Google Meet!  Go get ’em, Bengals!