No matter how dedicated you are as a student or whether you’re in high school or college, checking your phone for new notifications is second nature. According to Inside Higher Ed, 49% of students use technology for non-learning tasks which distract them, with 68% of teachers being bothered by the fact.
While technology is useful for post-COVID learning, it can also detract from your experience and make study sessions much longer than they need to be. Here’s what you can do to learn effectively offline instead of relying on the internet too much which can distract you in an instant.
Get Reliable Notebooks and Writing Supplies for your Learning
You need to get some study supplies before you can learn properly offline. Getting quality supplies will make you more motivated to use them, and it will help you check your phone or laptop far less frequently. Here’s what to get:
Colorful markers, highlighters, and pencils
Notebooks, journals, planners, and binders
High-quality calculator with advanced functions
Sticky notes and page markers in different colors and sizes
A good, sizable backpack which you can pack everything into
Eliminate Online Distractions through Dedicated Apps and Plugins
As people who live in the 21st century, we are conditioned to check online news and trends without even thinking about it. It can result in you browsing through your Facebook or Instagram feed for minutes before you understand what’s going on. This doesn’t apply to buying essays online, as this is a helpful and reliable way for you to receive quality writing assistance on short notice. This is important for when you are short on time and need to finish an important writing assignment or an essay. Instead of training yourself not to click on distracting links, you can use plugins and apps which will wall off certain websites. The tools you can use to block distracting websites are:
Cold Turkey Blocker
Serene
Pomodoro Timer
Forest
Rescue Time
Read your Notes Aloud While Walking Around the House
Sitting in one place for extended periods will get annoying, whether you read or write. Instead of getting too bored to study any longer, get up and read your notes aloud while walking around the house. This can help you associate different parts of your notes with different objects or feelings which can help your memorization. More importantly, it will ensure that you are as motivated and focused to learn offline as you were in the beginning.
Call your Friends on the Phone and Discuss the Study Materials
You can learn offline and still get in touch with your friends to study in a group, either via phone or in a study group. Organize a time that works for everyone and connect via telephone or an audio/video chatting app. While this breaks the “offline” rule a bit, it doesn’t involve you doing online research or browsing the web. Keep your hands on your notes and use technology only to connect with others for study purposes instead.
Visit your Library Regularly to Pick up Books and Study
Your local library is bound to have plenty of study resources for you to use offline. You can also study right there and then for hours on end without any distractions. Visiting your library to look for research resources and notes is great for avoiding plagiarism in your essays and papers. You can then use Lets Grade It to double-check if any of your writing is plagiarized to avoid issues while handing in your school projects. Libraries are freely available to anyone who wants to study there or do some research – make the most of them.
Learning to Study Offline in an Online World (Conclusion)
Choosing to study offline in today’s day and age can seem counterintuitive at first glance. But, you can focus much better if you are free of constant interruptions from your social media, email, and phone in general. Gather up your notes and study supplies, eliminate online distractions, and focus on the studies that matter the most to you.
Bio: Merissa Moore is an expert content creator, copywriter, and editor for several reputable online publications. Writing valuable insight about personal and professional development, social media, and digital marketing is where most of her writing interests reside. She is also a passionate reader and likes to write poetry.