COVID-19 has turned the world upside-down and I can imagine premeds everywhere are starting to freak out. How am I going to succeed in online classes? Am I going to learn the material as well as when class was in person?
As I am writing this, it is March 25, 2020 and my home state of Wisconsin has issued a stay at home order. Schools and universities have extended their spring breaks and transitioned to online classes. All non-essential workers have to stay home.
Now I am here with 4 things you can do to give yourself the best chance of succeeding with your online classes.
Remain Calm
First things first, remain calm. You are not the only person going through this adjustment, everyone is figuring it out with you.
Professors understand that this is a huge change and there will definitely be some bumps along the road. Stay calm and know that everything will work out!
Use Your Resources
Depending on your professor and the format of your virtual classes, you may want to supplement with outside resources.
One of my biggest recommendations for this is Khan Academy. Khan Academy is a website with tons of free videos covering almost any topic. It is also recommended by the AAMC for free MCAT prep!
If you are a pen and paper, handwritten student, print out the online resources given by your professors so you can study from a hard copy.
For more resources on using electronics for class, check out this post about how I used an iPad in college!
Your textbook will also be a great resource to use for succeeding in online classes. You definitely do not have to read it cover to cover, but it can be a good supplement to online lectures.
Block Out Distractions
I could never study when I was at home with my family. During MCAT round 1 studying, I shut myself in our basement and hung a sign on the door to keep out unless you are trying to become a doctor!
It is so easy to just forget about classes and hang out with your family. Your family pet is sitting there wanting to play, your younger siblings are bugging you, you would rather just chill on the couch than “go to” organic chemistry online class.
Find your quiet oasis
That may be in your basement, in your bedroom {do not study in bed!}, or in a spare room! Cut out distractions so you have a place to go to focus completely on your classes.
Learn!
It can be tempting to use your textbook or notes on your online exams but try to resist! Truly learning the information will make it quicker to take your exam and will also benefit you in the long run when you need to remember the information for the MCAT!
Instead of relying solely on your textbook for online exams, write out a summary sheet of important points and the material that you struggle with.
Usually, online exams are timed which limits how much you can flip through your textbook to find the correct answer. Learning the material and making a summary sheet will help you score points on your exams and stay within the time limit!
For more study tips, check out this post!
Hang In There!
I cannot imagine what you all are going through with all these changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
I am always here for support or just to talk! Stop by @medicineandmoscato or drop a comment below!
