The need for an orderly desk, piled-up books in alphabetical order, and a to-do-list calendar is expected in a traditional study room. The same organizing habit is essential for online classes. The idea that online classes require no resources is a wrong notion.
If you recall some of your recent sessions of online lectures, your professor might have shared links, PDFs, etc. Have you divided them into another subject-based folder? Well, chances are the files are still in the recent download file section. This is a sign of poor file arrangement and common organizing mistakes in online learning.
Staying organized in online classes is essential since you must always be active with your materials. If you stack your files randomly or keep your desktop cluttered, you must put in double the effort. You may also need to pay someone to take your online class.
But do not worry; staying organized is easy. Why not start by organizing your files with hard and soft copies? Below are more such tips as well –
1. Starting by Digitally Decluttering
The first thing to consider is – your digital space is also your mental space. Unorganized PCs and unmanaged email inboxes can quickly hinder your productivity.
Any email provider you use should be able to organize email conversations and filter out spam.
You can consider the following options –
- Messages can be automatically categorized, archived, deleted, or marked as spam using Gmail filters.
- With Gmail’s Priority Inbox feature, important messages are segregated from irrelevant ones.
- The Clutter feature in Microsoft Outlook aids users in sorting through low-priority emails.
2. Workspace Customization for Your Learning Style
You must feel comfortable and focused during an online presentation or lecture. That’s why you need a peaceful place. A decorum like a library is necessary for reading, writing, producing assignments, and paying attention to your teacher.
Find a space where you have fewer sound-related items or are too filled with non-study materials like showpieces, soft toys, etc. Instead, look for a well-lit, noise-free environment so that you can be seen and heard more clearly by your teacher and fellow students.
3. Decide Which To-Do List Is Best for You
While every student takes notes and maintains organization differently, there aren’t many strategies more advantageous than the good old-fashioned to-do list.
Once you’ve compiled a list of everything you need to do, you can select which tasks should take precedence and tick off the ones you’ve finished. Keeping track of your advancement can inspire you to press on.
You can improve your experience with to-do lists by using these tools –
- Google Tasks
- Google Keep
- Task management
- Memorigi
- Microsoft To Do
- MinimaList
4. Make Distinct Folders for Each Class
Keep your materials for each class in a specific folder, including writing assignments, lecture notes, and associated media. While keeping those folders on your documents or desktop folder is acceptable, you should consider an online option for peace of mind.
Consider making a Google Drive folder to keep all your assignments. This lets you access your files from any location and ensures they are safe if your laptop crashes. Do regular data backups if your gadget is misplaced, stolen, or compromised. For guidance on backing up Windows programs, settings, data, and images, computer users can consult Microsoft’s recommendations. Besides, Time Machine—a built-in Mac backup feature—can be configured by Apple users.
5. Customize Signature and Email Templates
There is a lot of email conversation in the online classes. So, having a template that you can rapidly alter and email when you perform a repetitive task is helpful. This also applies to messages that you plan to send out several times.
Sending a brief email might take a few minutes, but multiplying those minutes by several times would need a significant amount of your time overall. Hence, the suggestion is to prep your emails and set the template ready, so there won’t be any technical error when sending it.
6. Rearrange the Downloaded Files
There is a lot of file opening and downloading involved in virtual learning. Because it’s quick and simple, constantly storing things on your computer may appear harmless. But by the time you take your midterms, you’ll probably have a tonne of files if you do this regularly. Therefore, sweep out the files that you no longer require.
Doing so, you’ll have fewer files, which will be much easier to handle and require less disc space. Also, rename your files at the very least to make them easier to recognize, and place them in the appropriate directories for quick searching if you truly need to preserve a lot of them.
7. Sort Your Contact List
Asking Alexa to Call your classmate seems easy. But what if two ‘Rebecca’ are saved in your contacts, and you called the wrong person?
That’s why, aside from your teachers, ensure you have the names and contact details of everyone who matters at your school.
Some examples are department heads, financial aid advisers, workshop/seminar coordinators, campus directors, guidance counselors, and internship coordinators. If you need to follow up on a group project or just need clarification, ensure you have your classmates’ contact information arranged correctly.
8. Use an Assignment Tracker
Every academy has a system like Google Classroom, Canvas, or Blackboard where they keep track of all of your assignments. However, the quality of those systems depends on the data sent into them.
You require a clear, uncomplicated strategy that you are in control of. That would be a planner or old-fashioned assignment notepad. Though it might seem old school, consider making a straightforward agenda downloadable.
Place your entire assignment notebook or these one-page homework trackers front and center on your desk so you can easily see them.
9. Get Yourself a Take-Home Folder
If your system is hybrid, there may be instances in which you complete work at home but are required to turn it in in person. To ensure you don’t forget anything, you need a method for gathering all the items you need to bring to school in one location. So, place everything you need to bring in the folder as soon as you get it in your hands.
You can also carry a notepad and make separate sections for offline and online classes. Ensure that you keep a page where your teachers will provide you with comments from time to time.
10. Keep a Tech Basket
Lastly comes the tip that is essential for all your hardware. This is to have a box or basket to store all your tech accessories, such as chargers, ethernet cables, headphones, microphones, and cameras, to stay organized. Place all of this equipment in one location for storage. You can arrange small pouches to store small wires, USB cables, etc.
Final Words
All it takes is one step, to begin with a good habit. This is very essential when you decide to organize your chores. Most importantly, it’s important when you are in an online discussion, like a webinar or a lecture. Imagine you need to access a two-month-old report and cannot find it in your folder.
Again, what if you cannot log into your university portal because you didn’t check your credentials? These are some of the regular circumstances that most students go through during online classes. Well, the cure is staying organized!
Now, to help you with the right way of organizing, this article will help you out. Bookmark the ten exciting tips and use them accordingly.
