Digital Business Management students share their best tips on how to excel at learning from home.
Staying Organized
“Something that has been working great for me is a “To-Do List” I make of all my assignments, discussion, and presentations and have arranged them from earliest to latest. I try to knock one thing off of my list a day and I even made a list box to check off. Checking off the box gives me satisfaction and I want to complete the next thing. The “To-Do List” definitely helps to keep me motivated, focussed and also count down to the end of the semester.” - Aleksandra Kuzminska
“Find a work area in the house where you’re comfortable but not too comfortable so your work can get done and must be free from distractions. Do not work on the bed where you might just fall asleep.” - Amoy Porter Sirjue
Tackling Group Work
“Sometimes collaborating with groups is challenging, but luckily, we all have advanced technology and it helps to cooperate for the best results. Do not be afraid or shy to text or call your groupmates.” - Oleksandra Tsukanova
“Group projects always work best when an outline is done ahead of time so the work can be divided between group members. There also should always be deadlines set before the due date so it gives the group time to read over and edit the assignment before handing it in.” - Senia Berganza-Sandoval
“While working in groups, assign one member as a group leader who keeps track of everyone’s work and is responsible for editing and submitting the assignment on time.” - Aman Kumar
Studying For Exams
“Another great learning method, which this course specifically showed me, were games tailored to test your knowledge on desired topics related to the course. Games such as Kahoot for example, DO THESE!!!! They add some fun to learning, understanding the course content, and are probably the best way to train your brain before an exam” - Aleksandar Petrovic
“I'm studying for the exam by reviewing the PowerPoint slides, lecture notes, case studies, and questions from the textbook. I review each section and chapter on a different day to avoid studying everything at once. After I have reviewed each topic, I'll make questions and answer them without the notes.”- Anika Ajodhia
“Breaking up my work time into smaller blocks helps me focus instead of studying for 5 hours straight, which will lead me to be tired and not retain as much information. I prefer to break it up and take a 15-minute break for every hour that I study. This way I am present in my work, not tired and I understand the information much more.” - Veronik Pouliot
Staying Motivated
“I also set positive affirmations as reminders in my phone and stick them around the house so throughout the day I can remind myself to not let the current circumstances hinder my progress and these keep me going.” - Kalaycia Richards
“The routineness of online learning can generally lead to apathy. To overcome this and to stay focused and remain keen, I look to my end goals for motivation. I remind myself why I am doing this and why I have to treat online learning as a regular school setting because without participating, I can’t get my desired grades.” - Shaheen Lewis
“First off, what has not worked for me is staying in my comfies/pajamas all day. I found that mentally, this was making me feel depressed. I was lazy, didn’t want to do anything and had low energy. Now what is working best for me is getting up in the morning and getting dressed as if I were going to school. I am finding this is helping to get homework done rather than staying in bed and being lazy.” - Ashley Cadeau Fronce
Adjusting to Different Time Zones
"I am an international student with a half-day time difference and I started setting alarms to remind myself of time for classes; even more, I still set up the time on my phone according to Toronto time for convenience.” - Thuy Anh Pham
Self-Care Routines
“Get a good night’s sleep. It’s the best way to ensure that the brain is refreshed and ready to process all of the information learned during the day.” - Kemar Williams
“Do not forget to schedule yourself breaks or time to rest, eat and relax. These self-care moments are just as important as working and learning from home to feel focused, motivated and in control of everything” - Andrew Taggart