The way we learn is changing, and even if the pace is not in keeping with other changes in our environment. Modern education presents modern students with a new set of challenges.
There is a growing trend for adults over 25 to return to education. Students are increasingly tech-savvy and immersed in technology. Technology is also becoming widely used in education, if not in classroom, then definitely in student halls and homes. Moreover, education itself is moving into technology-enabled/facilitated environments, and furthermore – completely online.
The number of students enrolling into online education is growing – over the last 10 years the number of online students grew by over 400% and in 2011 in the US online students accounted for over 30% of all students. There are more than 12,000 degrees available online. This is a growing trend, so expect more to come.
And although all these changes make our lives and studying easier, they also bring their own set of challenges.
The top 4 distractions for modern students:
1. Technology
Technology – can make studying easier, providing instant access to multiple sources of information but also can lead to information overload, distraction, and ‘overchoice’, which further affect our ability to focus and make good enough choices.
How to deal with it?
– Be aware of the dangers;
– use your devices smartly (e.g. use voicemail for your phone),
– set up a time for responding to emails, messages and voice mail
– turn off notification (email, social media etc.),
– when researching a topic or just seeking some information on the web, stick to a handful of trusted sites and decide on the maximum – there is no right or wrong answer here, but you need to find a balance between exhausting a topic and finding reliable information and info-overload. You may need to decide on an arbitrary number of sites you visit.
– if you struggle to control the amount of time you send on the internet, – try one of multiple tools that block access to selected sites and totally for a period of time
2. Multitasking
Multitasking may be fun, but it is a productivity killer. We are not saving any time when multitasking – on the contrary, we are wasting time by constantly switching attention from one thing to another and back
How to deal with it:
Reduce your tendency to multitask by:
– planning your day
– avoiding distractions and interruptions
– scheduling activities appropriately
3. Sense of isolation
Studying online, just like any distance learning may be convenient and flexible, but it can also feel quite lonely. Been there, done that. Providers of online education are aware of it and try to build in ways to reduce the sense of lack of support and social isolation for students.
Often there are:
– opportunities to connect and ask questions of the instructors/lecturers or other staff during ‘office hours’/ or other live events, or forums/questions boards
– forums/social platforms for communicating with other students and/or alumni
– online events, such as webinars, hangouts, discussion groups (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn), boards, where you can find and connect with people from all over the world in the neighbourhood.
How to deal with it:
If you are an online student, check what solutions are offered by your education provider and use them to your advantage.
4. Home
Put a note on your door to let your family know you ARE working
Studying from home may be convenient and give you a lot of flexibility but it is also not without its downsides. One of the most common complaints I’ve heard from online students is that their families don’t quite ‘get’ that they are actually working. When you are sitting at your computer watching a lecture, your family may see you sitting at your computer ‘watching a YouTube video’, or otherwise ‘doing nothing’. And hence requests to ‘do the dishes’, walk the dog, etc. follow.
Online education is not quite yet accepted as a mainstream and you may need to do some explaining to get your family on board with it. It is a good idea to block time for studying in you calendar, put a notice ‘studying in progress, do not disturb’, talk about what you have learn about today at dinner and/or what you will be doing today at breakfast time, so you remind you family this is real work/studying you are doing.
It is harder to keep a routine when studying from home. While it is clear that when you leave your house to go to the uni, you take your textbooks and workbooks, and other ‘study gear’ and you sit in the classroom, or in the library to read, etc. This may not be so easy at home, so you may need to create your own studying routine. It may be good to create a study space, if you don’t have one yet – and keep it for that special purpose mainly (e.g. have a desk with a study planner/calendar handy, don’t study in bed); have a study schedule (e.g. time blocked for working on various subjects/topics, have ‘exam practice time’ etc.). And most of all – keep to it.
Now, you know what can get in the way of your study time, keep your eyes and ears open. If you notice, your fingers are itching to check your phone, your mind is busy doing more than one thing, or you’re feeling lonely – pause and use one of the techniques described above.
You’ve got no excuse – go and be a more effective student!
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