As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic that led to a worldwide lockdown, online education or remote learning came forward as the only solution to keep the education system going. This put the students through a lot, right from struggling for good internet connectivity and network, to uploading of assignments and projects online. Almost one year into the lockdown, students like you and me are now bored of attending online classes. This has led to us coming up with various reasons to bunk the lectures, some of which are very common like, “my laptop crashed”, “I had to help my grandmother with food”, “My mic/camera is not working”, “I am having network issues”, etc.
Bunking online classes though might rid you of boredom, they are definitely going to cause harm to academic performance. So what must you do to attend online classes without getting bored.
Manage time:
The lectures of any school or colleges usually begin at 8:30 am. If you wake up just a few minutes before the class, you are obviously going to feel lethargic and won’t feel like getting out of bed especially to listen to your teacher go on and on about some chapter in your syllabus. If you wake up an hour prior to your class, you get enough time to freshen up, eat breakfast, and set yourself up to attend the lecture with a fresh mind. Besides, managing time becomes essential to avoid missing lectures.
There are enough breaks between lectures that let you finish off all your other menial work or even rest for that matter. It is up to you how you utilize your break times. If possible, stay away from screens during the break time and give your eyes some rest too. Talking to your parents during break time, listening to songs, or doing a few stretching exercises will help you in shedding off boredom and keep your mind active.
Find Motivation:
Yes, online classes are boring for obvious reasons. Nevertheless, till the time the pandemic doesn’t come under control, we will be expected to continue with education from within our homes. To keep boredom at bay and continue attending lectures, we need to find some motivation to do some. You can discuss the curriculum or whatever that was taught in class with your fellow classmates, initiate constructive discussion, and find something to look forward to in the following classes. It could be literally anything. It need not always be related to your studies but can be something more fun.
Participate:
If you merely sit blankly in class and choose to shut your ears, you will obviously find online classes boring. Rather, participate. Listen and engage. The more questions you ask, the more you make the virtual environment lively. Not just will you participate but also encourage your classmates to join in too. When the class becomes interactive, you will feel even a tinge of boredom settling in your mind.
Keep munching:
I understand that some lectures are heavy and require one to toss their brains, a lecture where you just cannot be interactive. For such ones, you can always sit with some munchies in a bowl. Make sure you pick something healthy, like salads, or ragi chips or nuts. The reason for this is, when you keep munching, you tend to keep your brain working instead of letting it slip into a state of lul. This way, you will have something to enjoy while you attend your boring online classes.
Bunking is not a solution to stop yourself from getting bored during classes. It may help you temporarily, but most of the times, you will end up missing some important instructions or even lessons crucial for your academic progress. Rather, try the ways mentioned in this article or find your own innovative ways to beat boredom.
