Online learning tips for excelling in your math and science courses

A clutter-free space that’s set up for your coursework makes all the difference when switching gears to focus on your studies.

“Switch up your workspace. When I get sick of sitting at my desk, I move to the living room, or the kitchen table. If I’m REALLY sick of being at my house I’ll go find a new coffee shop to try out and work at,” said Cicily, brand ambassador and online business communication graduate. “A lot of people listen to music or have the TV on. That can be overstimulating and distracting. I love listening to jazz music when I’m doing work.”

Create a reference sheet of all your course, program and ASU resources for easy access. This can include professors’ emails, advisor contact, tutor information, tech support and any other resource you might need along your educational journey.

“The first thing I do at the beginning of the week,” offered Cicily, “is take out all of my syllabi for my classes and plan everything in my planner...The more I write it down, the easier and better I’m going to remember it.”

Scheduling dedicated time each week can help you balance your career and home life with school work; otherwise, you may risk playing catch-up late into the night.

Brand ambassador and online integrative health student, Taylor, said, “Prioritize your assignments by due date. Start your work Monday and set a schedule during the week of completing your assignments. Don’t procrastinate, so you can maximize your weekends and be done with your work by Fridays.”

Taylor also suggested, “Identify the times of day when you do your best work. Note the times of day when it is most difficult for you to work.⁣ Know how many hours you want to work a week.⁣ Know your limit. How many hours a day and week can you work before you burn out? Build your schedule around your personal time cycles and goals.“ “I like to start studying at least a week in advance before my test. I know it’s not always realistic but it’s good to try to give yourself at least a few days to prepare! I split up my studying and only study 1-2 chapters a day. Doing this helps me REALLY retain the information,” said Cicily.

Connecting with other online students through discussion boards or social media groups, like Sun Devils Connect, enables you to find your peers and relate with others throughout your studies. If you can create a group that supports each other, you’ll also motivate each other to reach your goals and conquer your courses.

“Clarify your goals and priorities, and make sure you spend most of your time pursuing the biggest goals,⁣” offered Taylor. “Have balance and breaks established each week so burnout does not occur. ⁣I tend to burn myself out very quickly and in order to prevent this, I need to have a life outside my work and premed studies.” “It’s super easy to fall into a rut,” said Cicily. “It’s all about finding balance. Making sure you’re getting out of the house, taking your work elsewhere (like going to a coffee shop or library, or going to study at a friend’s house). It really helps with motivation!”

Your instructors may not know you‘re struggling. Reach out for help or consider using tutors. Getting the help you need not only makes you a better student, but also aids in building your problem solving and communication skills, which are beneficial in any business environment.

“Both the success coach and academic advisors were crucial to my success as an ASU Online student,” said Jesus, online public service and public policy graduate. “My success coach, Renee, checked up on me and my progress weekly and sometimes multiple times a week to make sure I was mentally healthy and had the right strategies to deal with my course workload.”

Mitzi, an ASU Online student studying nursing, shared her experience, “I am eternally grateful for the dedication, conversations and support that my coaches gave me throughout my educational career at ASU. Amy Gordon, my success coach, helped me when I needed to make many tough decisions. I went through career changes, losing my home, my partner and my beloved dog when I first started at ASU, and Amy helped me sort out difficult choices and was there for me.”

ASU Online sociology and family human development graduate, Charlene, also shared her experience with support services, "Wesley Jackson is literally the best human being on this planet. He was my academic advisor for my entire journey at ASU. He helped me so much to stay on track, always there to answer all my questions and never made me feel like I was bothering him. He scheduled countless calls with me to answer all my advising questions! I will always miss him and his guidance. I also used lots of success coaching throughout my years. They are all there to help. They helped me to juggle staying on track academically through pregnancy, the birth of my son and struggling with postpartum. They were there for all of it to see me to the finish line."