It happens to the best of us. You open your web browser ready to study for an upcoming exam, only to find yourself checking social media websites or being distracted by interesting videos. And even when you manage to keep your attention on the topic you’re supposed to be studying, progress still feels slow and frustrating.
Problems like that are a common occurrence when trying to study online. But there are ways to deal with these challenges. Here are some tips that can help you get more done every time you try to study online.
1 – Block all distractions
Don’t waste time and energy trying to force yourself to stay focused. You can make your life easier by using software to block out potential sources of distraction. There are plenty of productivity browser extensions that will prevent you from accessing social media and other distracting websites for the duration of your study session.
It’s also a good idea to turn off phone notifications or just shut your phone off entirely. The fewer interruptions you have while studying, the easier it’ll be to build up momentum and make some good progress.
If you often find yourself having to study in areas with a lot of background noise, consider investing in headphones to mitigate the issue. Active noise canceling would be ideal, but even a set of $10 in-ear headphones can already do a lot to block out noise.
2 – Seek free learning resources
Blog posts and educational videos aren’t the only ways to learn online. There are massive educational platforms out there dedicated to helping people with their academic pursuits, and many of them are either partially or completely free.
A good example of this is Gradready, a platform that gives students access to explanation videos, practice questions, and practice tests that can make preparing for the GAMSAT exam much easier and more engaging. In order to prepare for the GAMSAT Exam, you should complete GAMSAT Practice Questions to improve your reasoning skills and familiarise yourself with the style of the questions.
There are also many websites dedicated to compiling and giving students access to free books and other learning materials on different topics.
Using platforms like these can be a great way to learn new topics and to get more out of every hour you spend studying online.
3 – Join student communities
A good way to learn and find useful resources is to network with other students in the same field. Forums, chat rooms, and social media communities can be great tools to help you meet more people. You can also use these channels to ask questions and get support on difficult issues.
Interacting with other people who are pursuing similar goals is also a good way to stay motivated. And there are entire communities out there dedicated to helping people stay productive and motivated.
4 – Look for tutors
Getting an online tutor can be a great way to boost your academic productivity. Tutors can give you assignments, monitor your progress, encourage you to keep going, and more. And when you have a question, having a tutor there who can answer it is often faster than trying to find a solution online. Especially if you’re studying a niche topic.
There are many ways to gain access to great tutors online. One of them is to take GAMSAT preparation courses.
Make sure to check that your tutors are well-qualified in their area.
5 – Don’t settle for boring
It’s a good idea to think of being bored as a problem that needs to be solved. Sometimes it is impossible to avoid boredom when studying a topic, especially when you’ve been forced to study a specific text. But when you have the freedom to choose which source to get your knowledge from, boredom can often be avoided.
Look for different texts on the topic, look for videos about it, and see if you can find podcasts or other types of media covering the subject. If you’re bored with your current source of knowledge, it may not take much effort to find a much more interesting alternative.
6 – Take breaks
Staring at a screen for several hours at a time is bound to make anyone’s mind begin to wander. If you want to be as efficient as possible, then your study plan should include scheduled breaks at fixed intervals. They can be short 5 or 10-minute breaks. You can use that time to stretch, walk, and stay hydrated.
That will give your mind time to relax, which will make focusing much easier once you get back to work.
