Wednesday is the sigh of relief for most people in the workforce. Once the day is over you’re about in the clear for the weekend where you can rest and forget about your responsibilities from that week. This may be true for some, but for most, especially online learners, it’s unrealistic. Most students need to have assignments submitted by Sunday, others have to have classwork posted by Wednesday.

Regardless of the day, there is no slowing down once you hit the hump of the week. The best way to avoid the sluggish pull of a lazy weekend is to tackle your assignments early so you can go out and play. Just like back in grade school, no TV or playing until your homework is done. The same should hold true now, even though you have may have a demanding job and a family at home. Wednesday shouldn’t be the day of the week where you slow down, instead use it to speed up and get your work in early.

-Online Learning Tips Staff

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When you have a million and one things fighting for space in your brain, (work, school, bills, kids, appointments – you get the picture) it can be difficult to retain the information necessary to ace your online course.

One study method that seems to do the trick no matter who you are, is studying aloud. Here’s how. Before reading, set a purpose and verbalize it, after you’ve finished be sure to summarize out loud what you just read. Speak your ideas into a tape machine as if you were having a conversation with someone and when you can, talk to your friends about the material. Not only will this help you to retain the information, but you’ll actually have a clearer understanding of the material at a faster rate.

(source: academictips.org)

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For students complaining of writer’s block for an assignment, something as simple as taking a walk outside can bring around a whole new perspective on what you’ve been working on.

We recently came across an interesting case study, conducted by psychology students at the University of Chicago, to determine the most effective study break. Student volunteers were given sequences of 3 to 9 numeric digits and asked to repeat them in reverse. If the experimenter said “6-1-9″ then the student would respond “9-1-6″. After 14 tests like this, the students were told to take an hour-long walk through an arboretum, or the downtown area.

When the students returned from the break, the test was repeated. It turned out that the walk through nature improved the subjects’ cognitive thinking skills and they performed much better on the digit-span and visual attention tasks.

This small study took an old and simple concept and gave it new life. Be it taking a walk through a nearby park, or sitting out by a tree in the yard, being closer to nature is a great way to unwind and re-energize your thoughts. If you’re not the woodsy type, even viewing an image of an outdoor landscape on your computer or on a wall in a coffee shop can help get your mind in the right place.

Read more about this study >

Your study space is critical to your ability to work effectively. After all, if you can’t concentrate, you certainly can’t expect to retain information well. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to find a place that’s completely silent and shut off from the world. Just be mindful to take cues from your personal learning style and comfort level needed to stay focused and organized.

Do you need lots of light? A fluffy, comfy chair? Soft music playing in the background? Or, maybe you need a more structured environment where you have a desk and file folders for organization. Whatever it is, establish that space early on in the semester so that you can get to work and be productive.  Investing time and a few bucks into creating the perfect study space will pay dividends by enable you to focus better and be more productive.

- Online Learning Tips Staff