Quarantine Memories: tips and tricks for e-learning
30 April 2020How to make the study more productive during the lockdown? We asked about it to the participants of the Global MBA 2019/2020, who decided to share some advice with the Community.
Olivia Yeh, Global MBA in Green Energy and Sustainable Businesses
“Although I missed the vibes in physical class, the online course does have its own advantages. For example, when the professor mentions a term or concept I am not familiar with, I won’t feel guilty to google the full context concurrently. This helps me to follow the lectures better without interrupting professor’s flow of thoughts. At the same time, BBS also make the virtual class record available right after the course finishes, which provides alternatives and flexibilities to accommodate our own learning pace. One tip I found helpful to e-learning is the preparation for class. Familiarize the class material and syllabus in advance, being mentally and technically prepared for the online session always lead to best learning result for me”.
Vladislav Ugarov, Global MBA in Supercars, Superbikes and Motorsports
“To be productive during online classes I usually try to follow this routine: just as with regular offline studies, during the weekend I review my schedule for the upcoming week, so I can get an overview of what has to be done; also I create events in my calendar to block time for the group calls and individual work. This helps me to keep track of time and not forget about something important. Usually in the evening I check my schedule for the next day to see when I have classes and at what time I can have a break. Don’t stay at your PC to check social media but rather go for a walk around your apartment or do some stretching! I would suggest to follow the dress-code as it helps to switch into the working mood. Make sure that your connection is good and all software is up to date and join the call few minutes in advance, to make sure you have time to fix the problems in case something goes wrong. If possible, turn the camera on when you’re communicating with others as it creates a more human environment for everybody, and make sure that your background is neutral. Turn on the microphone when you speak, turn it off when you don’t: this will save you from awkward situations of oversharing with your classmates. Some people might feel uncomfortable or shy asking questions online. In this case use the chat and indicate that you have a question. Professor or your classmates will notice that and make sure you can speak. Respect others, be patient and enjoy the learning!”.
Eurosia Besseghini, Global MBA in Supercars, Superbikes and Motorsports
“I like to join the online class 15 minutes in advance – I don’t like being late- and prepare a coffe in the meanwhile. If it’s in the morning, I used to read articles about something I like while waiting for everybody to join. This gives me good vibes and let me start classes more focused and concentrated. During lectures I take notes. It’s something I always do, but while during normal classes I prefer to use paper and pencil, here taping them directly on the pc, helps me to be more effective: I can take snapshots of pictures from the teacher’s slides and paste them directly in my notes!”.
Suparna Thakur, Global MBA in Design, Fashion and Luxury Goods
“The Global MBA team at BBS has done a great job of organizing these virtual lectures. I actually found these online classes very helpful because I could revise my concepts by revisiting the recordings before the exams. I recently read somewhere that if you don’t come out of this quarantine with either a new skill or more knowledge, you never lacked time, you lacked discipline. So, I do follow a routine and that’s what keeps me motivated and productive. Apart from attending the classes, I make sure I allocate some time to learn new skills by signing up for online courses. Also staying at home all day can become very frustrating which is why I try some form of exercise every day as it helps me calm down and stay positive. I also reckon this is the best opportunity to finally pursue things that you always wanted to but never really got a chance just like I participated in a virtual designer contest, which turned out to be extremely exciting. Lastly, don’t forget spending time with your family and making memories because once this is over and we get back to our mundane lifestyles, work-life balance will mostly be a challenge”.
