Productivity can be broadly defined as how much work you accomplish over a particular period of time. Some people can wake up and put on their high productivity suit. In contrast, others struggle to find a time frame that is the most fruitful for them. However, these days, productivity is not necessarily everyone’s personality trait.
It would all depend on what tools you use to spend less time on a task. It is not so different while studying. Students today have access to numerous applications that can help boost the learning experience.
If you are pursuing online education, that’s even better. Now, all you need is to tweak your gadgets, and you are good to go. In this article, we will propose some new ways to optimize your gadgets for online education.
The Best Writing Apps
Online or not, you will have a fair amount of writing to do. Instead of paper, you will be relying completely on your laptop this time. You might really need an efficient writing partner for the assignments that mount up.
For instance, say you are cutting close on an essay. You could easily get help from WritePaper.com and meet that deadline. Apart from that, you’ll also need writing apps that work seamlessly across all devices.
With Google Docs or Evernote, you can combine the familiarity of notepads with features designed for easy online access. You can access them from anywhere you want, close them without worrying about saving, and share your docs with ease.
While at it, you might also want to use Grammarly or ProWritingAid to ensure that your writing is devoid of any mistakes.
Invest in Noise-Cancelling Headphones
If you do not have the luxury of privacy, taking your online classes on the speaker would be an absolute disaster. You might be thinking you already have earphones. And yes, that pair might get the job done. But it will be only until you use the noise-canceling headphones you realize how much you actually needed them.
It will not only help you cancel out unwanted noises during the classes, but you will also be able to focus on learning even when you are in a public place.
Block Distracting Sites
Speaking about canceling out noises, you know how persuading social media, and, say, Netflix can be. You go in for a quick scroll or one episode, and before you know it, you have finished an entire season.
Online education still requires you to stay committed and invest time in it. You might want to look into some of the anti-distraction gadgets, such as HemingWrite.
The other way is to install an anti-distraction app on your laptops and mobile devices that will block specific websites and apps. This will stop you from switching tabs and rewind your focus to the important task at hand.
Get the Gadgets to Alert You
Managing your schedules while at home would prove to be more challenging than in college. Your personal time and work-time often blend into one another, and you lose track of time and your engagements.
What you might need is a digital assistant. Now, this doesn’t mean you always have to invest in Alexa or Google Home. In fact, your phone and laptop itself have these digital assistants integrated. This is a way to keep the calendars and reminders up-to-date.
You can quickly ask your assistant to remind you of the deadline, and you will not forget it the next time.
Keep Your Gadgets Organized
The last thing you want to do five minutes before class is searching for your headphones or the charger. Working from the couch will not do when you have a regular online study schedule to stick to.
Optimizing gadgets also means keeping them neat and tidy, preferably in a dedicated workspace. Keep all the required items, such as reference books, study materials, and notepads, easily accessible.
You also have to ensure that you have a steady and high-speed internet connection well before the classes commence.
Familiarize Yourself With Technology
By now, one would be familiar with the necessary tools for online lessons. This could vary from Google Meet, Zoom, or Skype.
It doesn’t matter what kind of system you use; you need to make sure that the system is up-to-date and has a running antivirus. You can also perform disk cleanup or get rid of any unnecessary files to free up space manually.
Most importantly, be alert about the webcams and microphones. Unmute the mic only when you want to join the conversation. Similarly, keep the webcam off until the video is required.
Be Ready with Backup
Today’s phone can handle most of the tasks you can perform using a computer. In a scenario that your laptop or personal computer fails, your phone can double up as a backup. Make it a point to install the same software, and make the files accessible through the phone as well.
Wrapping Up
Online education might come with unique challenges. But it will only take you a couple of days or weeks to get the hang of it. Plus, all the optimizing you do to your gadgets will turn out to be a good move for the long run.
