Image of Aurelija Simonyte
Hello! My name is Aurelija and I am the Content and Communications Coordinator here at Present Pal. I’m also a final year student at the University of Glasgow where I study Portuguese language and Business & Management. I’m here today to share my top student tips for distance learning. I hope these tips for studying will help you feel more prepared, motivated, and ready to take on Spring Semester with confidence!
Let’s start from the beginning. Some of you might be wondering ‘What does remote learning mean?’ or ‘What is the difference between remote learning and distance learning?’.
A quick Google search gives us the following definition for Remote Learning:
“Remote Learning occurs when the learner and instructor, or source of information, are separated by time and distance and therefore cannot meet in a traditional classroom setting”
Whereas Distance Learning is defined as follows:
“Distance learning is a way of learning remotely without being in regular face-to-face contact with a teacher in the classroom”
It appears that the main difference between Remote and Distance Learning is the presence of a teacher. Remote learning still involves contact with a tutor through on-line lessons, chats or email discussions, giving the teacher an element of control on the direction of the learning taking place. Whilst Distance learning does not require student interaction with a teacher. Automated slides could guide the students through the material and an online test could be used to assess their knowledge.
Remote Learning taking place. A girl is listening to her teacher through a laptop
Now that we covered the definitions we can move on to the study tips for students. And don’t worry - these are applicable to both distance and remote learning!
Get some rest from the Remote Learning Tools
Zoom fatigue is real. Hours spent learning remotely, attending live lectures or watching pre-recorded ones, working in groups and studying can feel draining.
It’s hard to watch anyone give a two-hour-long Zoom lecture, even if the professor is brilliant. The teaching staff know this and try to make the remote learning process more interactive. These new online classes are designed to have a lot more engagement, such as breakout rooms, voting, or communicating via the chat box function. It’s great if the students can show up and take advantage of these opportunities to actually engage in discussions, and actively participate. And if you’re still learning the intricacies of Zoom here’s a very helpful video to get you started with all of the basics.
Some professors may give you the option to turn off your camera during an online lecture on Zoom. That way, you can listen and take notes without constantly being under a microscope and let your eyes rest for a bit.
And if you have 20 seconds to spare while your tutor is desperately trying to set up breakout rooms here’s a top student tip for quickly resting your eyes.
Take a 20 second break every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away
Everyone has to look out for their own well-being right now. So if you feel like actively participating - awesome! But if you need to take a break, don’t feel guilty for turning your camera off and just listening in! Do what works best for you in this new remote learning environment to manage screen fatigue.
2. Technology is here to help!
Remote learning is both a convenience and a challenge. It gives you a great deal of flexibility…but with that freedom comes great responsibility. When most if not all of your classes are online, you need dedication, self-discipline, and likely many cups of coffee. Thankfully, there is a lot that technology can do to facilitate learning, and keep you organized!
Online courses are notorious for sneaking in multiple due dates throughout the semester. A mini-quiz this week, an essay submission by the end of the month, and perhaps even a group project meeting that needs to be organised as soon as possible? The list can go on and on and you might get overwhelmed and frustrated. With the help of MyHomework, all of your classes and assignments can be organized in one convenient location.
I definitely lack self-control. No matter how much I want to study and finish my work, Facebook or Instagram will always sound better. If you’re like me and could also use additional motivation, there are many different apps for that. I use a free software called SelfControl. It lets you add certain sites to a “blacklist” for a designated period, during which time you won’t be able to access them. It is a very strict app which won’t let you regain access to your blacklist even if you completed the tasks early, and there’s no way around it. Not even uninstalling the app. Not even restarting your computer. You’ll just have to control yourself.
I also use Present Pal to help me in my Remote Learning journey. Probably the most difficult part of learning a language is vocabulary (and grammar of course). Learning remotely has made it more difficult to organise study groups and learn new words with my coursemates. So every day I input new words or phrases into my Present Pal app and look at them multiple times throughout the day.
I write up the words in Portuguese as my bullet points and add the English translation into the Safety Net feature. This has made the long and frustrating learning process much faster and easier. I get to save paper and the environment by not buying packs of flashcards and as a result my notes are no longer messy and are all in one place.
Present Pal app open on a phone in landscape mode. The flashcard is titled ‘Phrases of the week’ and the bullet points represent various idioms in Portuguese
Present Pal app is open on a phone in landscape mode with Safety Net feature on display. In the safety net a translation of the Portuguese phrase is visible and reads ‘Burn the eyelashes/ read a lot’
3. Set up a Remote Learning Schedule
Never underestimate the value of a routine, especially when it comes to school work and study time. It can be challenging to motivate yourself while learning remotely, especially when your room turns into a library, a lecture hall, a cafe, and a relaxation zone all at the same time. Try to create a daily schedule that enables you to focus on your learning while leaving some time for relaxation.
Practice your routine every day (even if you don't have much on - use the time to get ahead) and your workload will feel manageable. To give you some inspiration, here’s how my usual Monday schedule looks like.
Daily Planner. Academic to do list: 1. Find a podcast for next week’s Portuguese oral class. 2. Start working on unit 5 in Strategic Management course. 3. Complete the homework given in the Portuguese class. Priorities: Submit dissertation draft; Submit graded Portuguese homework. Appointments: 9-9:30 Start of the week drumbeat with Present Pal; 11-13 Portuguese Class; 15-17 Global Change Management class. Notes: Complete 10 minutes of meditation; Mondays are bathroom cleaning days; Rest your eyes in between classes.
Prioritising looking after yourself is very important, so factor relaxation time into your routine, whether it’s watching a film, reading, or trying out new relaxation or self-care techniques.
A girl sitting on a yoga mat in Lotus position with a dog sitting next to her and sniffing her hand.
My discovery this year was meditation. I started by creating a 5 to 10 minute time slot for meditation every other day. If you’re struggling to find good quality free resources for meditation practices here is a list of Top 10 Guided Meditations of 2020.
These are free and high-quality resources that I have tested and therefore can wholeheartedly recommend!
4. Set positive, realistic goals for the semester
Setting yourself goals and dedicating yourself to achieving them will help you stay motivated and help you get to the results you want. And the best time to set them is the start of a new term - when you’re feeling refreshed and re-energised.
Set realistic goals that state exactly what you want to achieve. Be specific and acknowledge the effort required to achieve that goal. For example, you might say your goal is to achieve better marks in English this term, and the way you're going to achieve this goal is by increasing your study time dedicated to English and not be shy to seek help from a teacher, tutor, or friend if needed.
Write your goals down and stick them above your desk, or somewhere you will see every day, as a reminder of what you’re aiming for. For some inspiration, you can see an image of my goals.
Reach the Goal! My biggest goal for the semester is to graduate with a first. Progress. January: Received good grades in winter exams. Submitted my dissertation draft. February, March, April (What I did this month to work on my goal). I reached my goal so I get a flight with a hot air baloon!
The best way to find motivation is to set goals that you are truly passionate about achieving; goals that you feel motivated to work towards each and every day. Often, this means breaking down that big, seemingly distant dream you have into a step by step plan with smaller goals along the way. How will this term push you towards that dream? What do you want to achieve this year?
5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Getting extra help when you need it is very important and can make your education journey easier. If you need extra support or accommodations from your university or a specific course, but don’t know how to ask, take a look at this blog post. It gives you 6 phrases to use when asking your professor for support!
You are not alone. So check to see if your university or government offer any grants or additional support to help you with your Higher Education experience. For example, The Disabled Students Allowance is a Government grant in the United Kingdom available to students in Higher Education, to cover the study-related costs you have because of a mental health problem, long term illness or any other disability.