It’s been almost two years since the pandemic started, one and a half years since practically all schools shifted to the online setting, and we have learned to adapt to this kind of situation. At first, many of us students didn’t like the new learning setup in their own homes. Many encountered countless problems and interruptions like internet connectivity, unnecessary noises in the background, mixed responsibilities at home that we also need to fulfill. There are mental health issues that I believe we all have experienced during these trying times. We cannot avoid some of these, but having an organized and clean study area will help you focus even with the unwanted distractions around you. Let me share with you some tips and tricks on how to set up your study area and the things you need for your online class starter pack; let’s go!
How to set up your study area
1. Smart Phone, Laptop & PC Setup!
First step in how to set up your study area is acknowledging that in this kind of setting, having your own device can be considered a necessity or a must because this will be the primary tool for you to be able to participate in your online classes. A smartphone is an essential device that you can consider having for our new usual way of learning. A smartphone nowadays can support the different apps and websites that you need to access for you to accomplish your tasks; this is preferable for the students who are in their grade school-high school levels because they require minimum engagements on apps like zoom or google meet, they usually interact through the modules that are given to them by their teachers.
The following device that you may consider is the laptop. This is most commonly used by senior high school- college students because they require access to zoom or different platforms most often and can be beneficial because they do most of their work through this device. Having a laptop is not a necessity if you do not have the capacity to own one. A smartphone is still as good as a laptop, but if you want to maximize your efficiency, I suggest that you start investing in one.
Lastly is the PC Setup. The only difference between this device and the laptop is that this is more capable of having different online games that can be an outlet for you to relax after a stressful day. If you are pursuing a course that is related to technology and the likes, and if you really want to venture into the world of streaming and to have an extra job while still being able to finish your studies, I suggest that you also invest in a good PC Setup that will help you boost your productivity in a different level.
2. Internet connection
The word “online” in “online class” mainly refers to having access to the internet. And what good is your device if you do not have a stable internet connection? Yes, I agree that nowadays, the phrase “stable internet connection” is hard to attain because of the instability of our connection due to unknown and countless reasons given to us by our network providers. Maybe we can change the word “stable” to a “decent” internet connection. I believe that the most common phrase used by the students to excuse themselves from not being able to answer in a recitation or having a late submission is because of their internet connectivity. Having a “WiFi” is not a necessity. When it comes to the quesiton of how to set up your study area, There are a lot of options to choose from the different packages that different Telcos offer that vary from different prices depending on your budget. Some cities provide free wifi in various establishments, and some provide a specific place for students who are not capable of providing their own internet connection.
Suppose you have the budget and you want to have an uninterrupted connection. In that case, there are different devices that can connect your device to your router directly or a device that can boost the signal capacity of your routers. It is really a struggle for us students to establish a strong connection nowadays, but all we can do is maximize our resources and do our best with what we have.
3. Table/ phone stand
After acquiring the devices that you need, let’s continue in creating your online class set up by having a table or a phone stand. This is very beneficial for us because we won’t be tired of holding our phones or devices anymore with the help of this tool. Our energy will be more focused on our lectures rather than the muscle pain that we will acquire without these. For smartphone users, a basic phone stand will do just fine, but if you want a more sophisticated perspective, there are a lot of options available for you that you may find in online stores.
A simple coffee table or any table will do if you have your own space at home. You can also reuse different types of tables that can be converted into new ones for a much creative online class setup. You can decorate your own table by painting it or putting up different elements, anything that will show your creativity and help you be motivated in class.
4. Papers and Sticky notes
For the people who are still used to writing their notes on a piece of paper or find this method very effective for them to memorize their lectures, I’m pretty sure that you will still be needing your classic Pad paper and sticky notes to help you jat down everything you need to remember. Although in this online setting, many, if not most of the senior high and college students do not write anymore because they are used to typing their submissions in an app. Even though time has changed, it still feels different when you write things down. According to a recent study, students who are engaged in the online setting that write down their notes tend to learn more than those who depend on their laptops or computers. If you are one of those, don’t forget to add this to your online class setup and be creative with the different types of papers that are available online! There are note pads that have a specific design that can help you organize your thoughts and your notes, while there are still the usual colorful notes that you can choose from depending on your favorites.
5. Pens and highlighters
What good will your papers do without its partner, right? In our generation today, if the papers are replaced by apps, pens today have an upgraded version that doesn’t need any ink! Everything now can be replaced with something new, but there’s a saying that says “Old but Gold,” right? The traditional way of learning may be old, but it proves itself to be effective throughout the generations. You can show your creativity by having different colors of pens and highlighters, depending on how you organize your thoughts. Here are some tips on how to highlight your notes for a much effective way of memorizing:
● Read the whole sentence first before highlighting, pause and think of the main idea of the sentence and then highlight that specific word or phrase.
● Only highlight a specific word or phrase; limit yourself by identifying what can be beneficial for you to memorize better.
● As I’ve mentioned before, using different colors of highlighters to help you organize your thoughts and separating the main idea from the examples is an excellent way to start.
● For those who are using online notes, you can convert them into PDF files, and from there, you can highlight words and phrases.
There’s this thing called the “Temptation of highlighting,” wherein students usually just highlight everything they thought was crucial without even understanding it. Remember, you must know very well the word or phrase that you are going to highlight so that this method will be really helpful to you.
6. Table Organizers
You’re almost complete! It isn’t enough that your thoughts are the ones that are organized; having an organized space shows that you are indeed an organized person. Start by having a document organizer; these will help you separate files from what is essential from what is not. You can also use them to identify the urgent documents that you need to finish from those that have a much later date of submission. Next are the pen organizers. They will help your table or space look cleaner because you’ve placed them in order. You can find different types of pen holders, highlighter pen organizers that will suit the theme of your setup. It can be very modern or very unique, depending on your style. And of course, having different devices requires a lot of chargers, and a lot of chargers means there will be chaos with your cords. Having a cord organizer will also make your table look neat and clean. You can also add an extension cord that has multiple outlets so that you can maximize your space. There are different types of cord organizers that will suit your taste. On organizing your cables, you can place them at the back of your table so that they won’t be noticed when they look at your space.
7. Snacks!
And of course, who can forget about having a snack bar in their own space, right? If you have enough space, you can try putting up your own “snack nook” and be creative with it! You can put your favorite snacks and beverages so that you don’t have to get them somewhere else. An advantage of having this is that you can just grab anything you want, of course, if you have the permission of your professor while they are discussing. A disadvantage of this one is that you might not be able to control yourself and binge eat when you are stressed, but who cares, right? You deserve it! You deserve to de-stress every once in a while. Just remember always to balance your snack and have a variety of healthy snacks in your own nook. You can also put up your own coffee space if you are a caffeine lover! Do whatever makes your own space represent the real “you”!
8. A Quiet Place for a Peaceful Space
Not everyone has been blessed with a quiet community nor with a calm place. Even inside our own homes, we cannot control the unnecessary noises that the people around us make. This is a dream for every student nowadays to have a peaceful online class experience. Sometimes, we hear cars passing through, chickens making their sounds, babies crying, and many more distractions. All we can do about these noises is first if they are coming inside your house, you can talk to the people who are with you and ask them to please minimize their noises while you are having your online classes. Next is if you can move to a different room that is far away from the outside noises, you can set up your own space there so that you can avoid hearing unwanted sounds.
And oh, did I mention that you CAN achieve this with BRIA Homes? Yes, because they offer not just Affordable (Mura) homes, but they can also assure you with Pleasant Communities! Having a real estate property with BRIA Homes gives you that extra benefit that they offer. When you move in at one of their house and lots, you can be assured that you will be experiencing a peaceful community because of the holistic and pleasant environment they build together with your homes. This enough will ensure you that your longing for a peaceful home without unnecessary distractions is now one step closer through the help of BRIA Homes.
These tips will surely help you achieve the online class goals that you’ve been dreaming of since the start of this pandemic. What are you waiting for? Look for inspirations that you like and apply them in your setup! Just remember that having a complete online class setup will not guarantee you perfect scores in your subjects; you need to focus and stay motivated to finish your studies so that your setup will all be worth it in the end. Have fun in creating your own space, and remember to work hard for your dreams!
BRIA Homes is a subsidiary of GOLDEN MV Holdings, Inc., .one of the largest real estate companies in the country. BRIA Homes is primed to bring quality and affordable house and lot packages and condominium units closer to ordinary Filipino families. This is the goal that drives every single employee in the company, for which the ultimate fulfillment is seeing a client happily moving into BRIA’s homes.
To know more, visit their website at www.bria.com.ph, like and follow “Bria Homes, Inc.” on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Spotify, Viber Community, Telegram Channel, Kakao Talk, LINE, and WhatsApp, or call 0939-887-9637.
