.png)
Virtual learning has become a harsh new reality for millions of students in the past few months. As we attempt to navigate this bizarre form of education, it's important to take a moment and reflect on your experience thus far. How have you personally managed online learning? Is it in your favor? Do you despise it? Has it given you more time and freedom? Taking the time to note your honest answer for these questions allows you to assess your reality and relationship with virtual learning. As we sail full speed ahead into finals, here are two ways to cope with working in a virtual environment.
Working in a comfortable environment is key to reducing stress and tension related to online learning. If your workspace is cluttered, dirty and difficult to move freely in, this seemingly small annoyance can have a great affect on your mood and overall tolerance of how engaged you are with your e-learning. Having a tidy and organized workspace has been a lifesaver for me, as it allows me to solely focus on the task at hand rather than worrying about where I need to place my cup of coffee, since my desk was littered with papers and notebooks.
Finally, one major game changer that has worked wonders for me is quite simple. Smile. Learning to smile and approach each obstacle with a positive attitude has been one of the largest lifestyle changes that has produced viable, positive results by simply reframing my outlook on certain situations that I deem “problematic”. Being efficient in this area of mental well being will bring greater joy not only to your online classroom, but how you approach troublesome scenarios in the real world.
These two simple changes have produced the most impact for my online learning experience, and through the consistent upkeep of both of these actions, I can confidently say that my time spent online at UIC has been nothing short of an incredible learning experience that I will remember for years to come.