Organized Jane Shares 8 Tips for Setting up Your Virtual Learning Space at Home
When it comes to working from home or partaking in virtual classes, it is so easy to get distracted.
Instead of remaining 100% focused on the task at hand, our minds wander off in a million different directions. Since we're at home and in our comfort zones, it's no wonder we get sidetracked. If you've found yourself procrastinating or even forgetting duties, now is the time to put a stop to it.
We spoke with Organized Jane, a life-biz organizer and university professor, about learning spaces. She had some pretty incredible ideas! Keep reading for her eight tips for setting up your virtual learning space at home.
1. Separate Yourself
"Pick a space in your home that you feel good in and that has some sort of separation from other distractions—even putting a bookshelf in the way will help. It should also have good lighting—natural windows are best."
-Organized Jane
2. Keep Your Surrounding Area Clean
"Make sure you have a clean background when you pop open your computer for your virtual learning. You might love the picture of you and your girls dressed up for Halloween, but your teacher doesn't need to see them."
-Organized Jane
3. Work In Front of a Window
"Ensure the natural light is in front of you, not directly behind you. This will help remove dark shadows. If you don't have natural light, find a place close to lamps and overhead lighting."
-Organized Jane
4. Stay Organized
"File your documents by class. Use a binder or a filing folder, the same way you would in class. When working from home, you don't have to carry your notes to class, which makes us lazier, so we often forget to file them. Start a good system to save time and make a good impression on your teacher. Label your binder or files for each of the classes you're in."
-Organized Jane
5. Invest In a Time Cube
"Use a time cube to stay on track. Trust me, this tool will help you forever and give you more free time to do what you want to do. There are so many online distractions, so by using this cube, it will help you focus only on the project or homework you are working on. Your classmates will be jealous when you get your book report finished in an hour while it may take them hours or days while they're switching between tasks and getting distracted."
-Organized Jane
6. Remove Clutter
"Remove any clutter that you don't use for school or work. The more stuff you have, the more space it takes in your brain. Even photos from prom or your last beach vacation! Move them to another spot so you don't look at them and get distracted while in class."
-Organized Jane
7. Participate
"This is the best time to learn how to get comfortable in a virtual environment. Often, it's hard to get the teacher's attention with a large class, but now you have the advantage of direct messaging your teacher or other students, or even sharing your opinions and facts via the group chat. Lots of teachers, myself included, track your participation even in this virtual world."
-Organized Jane
8. Dress Up
"Lastly, look cute. Yes, I said it! Impressions online are just as important. You want your teacher to respect your work and you as a person, so it's best to dress as you would to regular class. They don't have to know you're wearing sweatpants on the bottom, but a cute turtleneck or blouse can go a long way from a crop top, spaghetti strap or cleavage-heavy top. There are also many YouTube videos on how to do your makeup for Zoom calls."
-Organized Jane
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