Lecture Tips: How to Stay on Top of Your Online Lectures

In need of some lecture tips?

Lectures. They're generally not a student's favourite part of university, but they're certainly necessary (if you want to pass, of course). Now, universities offer a mix of both in-person and online lectures, so we're here with some tips on how you can navigate this type of learning.

It’s inevitable that some students might struggle with keeping up with their studies. Luckily, if you are struggling to stay on top of your workload, there are a number of ways you can get back on track ASAP.

To give you a hand, we've put together a comprehensive guide for staying on top of your lectures 👇

Scrap your weekly work plans: switch to daily plans

If you often find yourself making elaborate week-long uni plans, but end up wondering why you're so far behind by Tuesday, you might need to switch up how you're managing your workload.

To avoid falling behind with your assignments and lectures(and feeling super guilty as a result), try making plans just one day at a time. This helps to make sure that you're not committing to heaps of work at once, and it'll help you manage each day as it comes. The flexible nature of a daily plan means you can easily rearrange your schedule as needed - without facing any repercussions or feeling guilty for doing so.

An added bonus of having a daily plan is that it'll give you a sense of structure to your workday. This means it is more likely for you to stick to this plan until it becomes a routine, reducing your chances of falling behind on your work in the future.

Dedicate set times of the day to complete your lectures 

The lectures and contact hours that you're expected to do will usually be collated in a timetable provided by your university. By utilising these timetabled slots as a guide to follow (where you can), you'll be much more likely to stay on top of your workload.

Bonus tip: Use the free hours before and after these timetabled lectures to complete your work for that particular module. As most timetables are weekly or bi-weekly, you'll get into a habit of sticking to this to give you a sense of a routine.

Allocate set break times each day

It's a good idea to allocate certain times of the day to have a break (even if it's just 20 minutes to catch up on Netflix). Anyone focusing for a long period of time needs regular breaks - or you'll inevitably lose concentration and could experience burnout (making it way harder for you to retain information).

Don't tell yourself you'll 'make it until lunch'; leaving hours between breaks is usually way too long. Try the Pomodoro Technique for the best results. Pick a task, set a 25-minute timer, work all-out, and then give yourself a five-minute break to stretch your legs and allow distractions. Every few hours, give yourself a much longer break. This trick works wonders and is proven to help you stay distraction-free.

Go for a walk, hang out with your housemates or scroll through TikTok for a bit - but whatever you do, set a timer and don't break for too long.

Avoid desk breaks

If you're working from home, try to get away from your desk or workspace while you're not studying, as this is a great way to create some form of separation between work and play. Even something as simple as moving from your bedroom to your living room for a few hours may help you concentrate and keep focus.

The same goes for if you're in the uni library. Get outside for some fresh air if you risk leaving your study space free for ten minutes!

Grab a study buddy

If you're the kind of person who tends to break study-related promises with yourself (we've all done it!), then you might need a study buddy. Having someone to keep you accountable means you're more likely to get work done.

Pick your study buddy wisely (it's probs a bad idea to pick someone who has worse concentration than you do). Ideally, your pal would be a course mate who has the same workload and will motivate you to turn up to lectures, but a housemate or close friend will do the job perfectly if you're studying from home. If you can't meet up in person, arrange a productive working session over Zoom or FaceTime. Make sure to make it fun and plan a nice walk over lunch! This can be a great way to socialise as a commuter or a live-in student.

Set realistic goals

Whether you're on top of your work or weeks behind, make sure you set yourself realistic goals when it comes to studying and attending lectures. It can be tempting to tell yourself you're going to work for 10 hours straight, but this is definitely not going to happen (nor is it a good idea).

Instead, sit down and make a plan for the next few days. Write down which lectures you need to catch up on, how much free time you have and when you'd be able to realistically get work done.

Underestimate your workload and set goals which you're 100% going to be able to achieve. This lecture tip might sound counterproductive, but you'll be extra motivated when you hit those goals with time to spare.

If you fall behind, don't overcompensate the next day - stick to your original plan. Otherwise, it's easy to get overwhelmed and completely fall off the wagon. And, at the end of a study sesh, spend the evening relaxing and watching a film with your housemates (popcorn is a must).

Put your phone away

It's a cliche, but it works. Our next lecture tip is to put your phone away, preferably in your bag in a lecture theatre or in a different room if you're watching lectures from home. You might think you have the willpower to power on when your notifications pop up, but we're all EXTREMELY bad at this.

When we're constantly being battered by notifications, our focus is being pulled out of our work. Before we know it, we're knee-deep in TikTok and wondering where the time went. It's a good idea to turn your notifications off, put your phone on silent, and utilise Do Not Disturb mode (do this on your computer too).

So, if you really want to get work done, leave your phone way out of sight. Whether it's in your kitchen, hallway (or even hidden in your bathroom if you don't trust your housemates), it'll massively help your focus.

Bonus tip: If you want to be ultra-focused, set up a new user on your computer for studying. Use this login for all things work-related, and make sure you're not logged into social media or any of your most-loved distracting apps. This creates a clear distinction between work and play.

What to do if you fall behind

If you do happen to fall behind on your studies, try not to be too hard on yourself. It happens to everyone at some point!

As we've mentioned above, don't go all-guns-blazing into your work in an attempt to catch up when you fall behind. This technique hardly ever works, and you're likely to burn out in the process. Instead, stick to the plan, give yourself focused time and allow plenty of short breaks (you'll catch up quicker this way).

Don’t be afraid to ask your course mates for tips on how to catch up with your work, or for advice if you don't understand anything. They'll be going through the exact same struggles as you, so they know how you feel and can support you if you're feeling unproductive or unmotivated.

You should contact your personal tutor or one of your lecturers if you feel you want to speak to someone within your department about your work. They'll be able to give you some advice about how to catch up and help you if you don’t understand any of the content. Members of university staff are always understanding and supportive in these circumstances.

Roll out of bed into your lectures

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