COS Speaks: Advice For Online Learning

Brooke Kestly, Reporter|September 3, 2020

50% of teens have reported feeling stressed in school, according to surveys of students taken by The Princeton Review.

With school being online, classes can become overwhelming. Here are some helpful tips for online learning from COS students:

Johnathan Islas, Freshman

“Pay attention to Zoom and groups for projects. If there is ever a group project assigned to you, getting to know the people you work with will help you. Communicating with your group often will also help stay on track with your class. They can remind you about upcoming assignments that may be due.”

Desi Escarsega, Freshman Kinesiology student 

“Learn how to use Canvas and Zoom. Being familiar with these two programs is extremely important. Canvas is where your teachers will post all your assignments you need to complete. Not knowing how to work this will put you in a bad position grade wise. Zoom is a website that teachers use to video chat their students since meeting face-to-face is not an option right now. Teachers will often turn to this program to make sure their students are kept up to date with their class. Seeing faces also helps to stay focused.”

Estevan Islas, Senior Music Education student 

This will be his second semester of online schooling. “Procrastination is not an option with online learning. Do not wait until the last minute to complete an assignment. This will only stress you out. Save yourself the stress and at the very least start the assignment when it is assigned to you. There is nothing wrong with completing something early.”

Marina Flores, Sophomore Criminal Justice student

This is her second semester online. “Every now and then, close your computer and take a break. Eat a snack, take a lunch break, or even sit and get your thoughts together. Doing all your assignments at once can get overwhelming. Taking a break and going back to your assignment later can even help to regain focus.”

Abby Jesus. Freshman Nursing student

“Keep yourself away from distractions. There are many things in your home that can be distracting such as your pet, family members, etc. If possible, try to sit at a desk and not somewhere like your bed. Going into a room where you can close the door is the best thing you can do to improve your learning. If you are in a noisy room, using headphones is recommended.”

Tommy Carrillo, Sophomore Accounting student

“Know not to hesitate to ask questions. If you are confused about something, it is okay to ask your professors questions through email. It is especially important to send emails if your class is asynchronous. Also, your teachers should have office hours over Zoom. Email is always available and your teacher will get back to you asap. Do not wait to ask questions until their office hours.”

Below are links to resources for students from Lauren Fishback, Director of Marketing and Public Relations.