Getting an online college education requires the same study habits and skills as a traditional classroom. If you’re about to enroll in a web-based program, check out our college campus advice for online students.

Create a Separate Work Area

Comfortable surroundings at home can lead to lax study habits and missed assignments. To improve your focus, make one room in your house your permanent study area or take your homework to a local coffee shop. MOMeo Magazine recommends choosing well-lit surroundings with bright colors. Avoid muted backdrops and soft “mood” lighting as these can damage your productivity by making you sleepy.

No Music in Your Headphones: Listening to music through headphones while you study does not improve your memory or attention, says research from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Your brain devotes more focus to the music than your study material because your headphones are closer to it. Try background music through a computer or phone instead.

Set Strict Study Times and Course Plans

Online learning leaves it up to you, the student, to set class times and study hours. Time management is vital if you want to succeed in this setting. Military.com recommends you devote two hours per week for each credit you take during a semester. Remember, that’s not each course, but each credit. So, if you take 12 credits per semester, that’s 24 hours per week needed for study.

Maintain Your Schedule: Devoting a specific time each day for study and homework is important for getting your work done. Don’t procrastinate by putting off the books for another hour.

Participate in Online Discussion Groups

Study groups on the Internet are just as helpful as their on-campus counterparts. Your online classes should have dedicated message boards and chat rooms where you can post questions and get feedback — use them. Professors notice students, even on the web, who take part in class discussions and want to learn. Your higher profile could help you get a prompt answer to a question that leads to a better test grade.

Help Others Too: If you see another student with a question you can answer, buy levitra vardenafil help them out. They might have some insight into an area you’re not understanding. This give and take is how a classroom becomes a community.

Learn to Take Breaks

Barreling through your homework without break wears you down fast. That fatigue builds over time and crushes your will to pay attention. This infographic by CampusBooks.com recommends you take a 10-minute break for every hour you study. Walk around and stretch your legs. Go get a cup of coffee. The movement will invigorate your limbs and break the monotony.

Don’t Get Distracted: Allowing the pause in your work to turn into a postponement defeats the purpose. Your timeout needs to stay on a schedule just like your studying.

Prioritize Your Assignments and Due Dates

Professors of online classes may keep traditional syllabi with all your assignment due dates, but that’s not a given. In fact, the only instruction you may have is to turn all coursework in by the last day of classes. Stay ahead of the game by developing your own list of priorities. Knock out the smaller assignments earlier in the semester so you have more time to devote to larger papers and projects later.

Visualize Your Timeline: Use a real calendar to create your personalized due dates and class projects. Check them off as you complete each one.  This method helps your progress stay fresh in your mind.

Always Get Proper Rest 

College students are famous for midday naps, but they don’t help with productivity. In fact, an irregular sleep pattern can do more harm than good for your online study habits. Go to bed at roughly the same time every night. Wake up at the same time every morning with eight hours of sleep under your belt. Regular rest can help reduce your stress and promotes alertness, which leads to better memory retention.

Advances in technology have closed the gap between online and on-campus college experiences. With these study skills in your arsenal, you’ll have all the advantages of a real classroom minus the cost of a daily commute.