GUEST BLOGGER: HAYLEE GECAS, COLLEGE HILL MARKETING INTERN + STUDENT AT WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY, PULLMAN, WA

A note from College Hill: With many campuses transitioning to online coursework during this challenging and uncertain time of "social distancing," there are probably a lot of students out there, scratching their heads, wondering how exactly all of their in-classroom courses can translate to online ones. Not all classes work the same online - performing arts classes, for instance. There are many hurdles school administrations, professors and students will need to overcome to make sure learning and grading proceed effectively. One of our marketing interns, Haylee, shares her valuable input from past online class experience that will undoubtedly help her - and hopefully many of you - with this online class transition as spring break comes to a close. 

Online classes can seem uncomfortable at first - if you aren’t prepared. Just because a class is online doesn’t mean you will no longer have to try and participate. Since classes have moved online for my campus, I put a list together for those of you who haven’t taken online classes before. Hopefully this will help you adapt to this transition and still end this semester strong!

1. Stay organized with all of your different due dates.

Online classes are a good way to practice your time management skills. You should write down everything that needs to get done, check the syllabus for assignments and block out a time to work on homework. For tips on how to stay organized, check out this College Hill blog post!

2. Create a routine to make sure you have time to get all your work done.

Since you no longer have structured class time, it will be important for you to set time everyday to make sure you stay on top of your workload. Just because a class has moved online doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be taken seriously. Professors have always told me to treat classes like a job, and that is still true in this situation.

You need to be able to hold yourself accountable and find out how much time you need daily to work on your classes. Once you find out what works for you, set goals for yourself to make sure you are staying on top of your work.

You’ll need to make sure you have a quiet study space that doesn’t have distractions. Turn off the TV, put your phone away and have an area you can focus for the amount of time you need to work.

During this time, make sure you have a regular workspace that will help you stay organized. Some professors will still have video classrooms, so make sure you have headphones and a good internet connection. If they don’t have video classrooms, you should still consider finding a quiet area to be able to focus and get work done.

4. Figure out how you learn.

You probably already know what type of learner you are. When classes are online, though, it’s important you find a way to understand the information that best fits you. Are you a morning person? Maybe try to study and do homework in the morning. If you like to stay up late, take some time later at night to do work.

Not everyone learns the same way and when classes are online, it might be difficult to find a way that best benefits you. If you are a visual learner, you can print copies of the information you need to learn. If you learn better when listening, you can play the audio on the content. With the classes I have taken online, professors usually have a PowerPoint with audio so it should work for both types of learners. If your professor only offers one or the other, I’m sure you can email them and work something out that helps your learning!

5. It’s fast-paced, so if you’re struggling, ask for help!

When classes are online, they move at a fast pace. Professors still want to make sure their students are successful in their classes, of course. This means they still want to help you if you are struggling. When classes are online, they can no longer remind you in class what you need to do. They expect you to get the work done and check the syllabus for due dates.

If this is a hard transition for you, talk to your professor. They might be able to find extra resources to help you out. Connect with different people within the class to ask questions. Reach out to us on the socials and we can give you more information on how to effectively take online classes!