The transition to online learning has been difficult on students and teachers across the nation. Some of the team leads from COD’s New Student Orientation (NSO) shared their online study tips.

1. Use Your Online Resources 

COD faculty and staff have been working to improve websites and online materials to help aid students through this uncertain time. The library, student life, counseling and advising, all have included many more resources to their collection. 

“Chat with COD is a new addition to the main website that allows you to anonymously chat with a representative from either Admissions, Counseling, Registration, Student Financial Aid, or Student Records,” said NSO team lead Phillip Laricchia. “This is a useful tool in case a problem arises with your COD account or you need to schedule an appointment with a counselor.”

2. Manage Your Time

“Have a daily routine of what to do daily so that you can manage your time pretty well and not get overwhelmed with stuff,” said orientation team lead Ignatius Seguban.

Creating a schedule and sticking to it helps efficiency and productivity. Plan and set daily goals or reminders to keep focused on the task at hand.

“The main thing I always make sure to do is keep my phone away from me!” Said NSO assistant Mary Andersen. “I can’t help but check it every time I get a notification, and it wastes so much time. I started leaving my phone in another room, just for a certain length of time – either until I finished an assignment or for 45 minutes, and then I’d ‘reward’ myself with responding to my notifications.”

3. Keep Involved

“If you want to make the most out of your college experience, make sure you get involved in clubs and honors programs, and seek help whenever you need it from the staff, who are always happy to lend a hand,” said Laricchia. 

The office of student life has been organizing virtual events to keep students involved and to provide the sense of community that being on campus provides. Bingo, trivia night and escape rooms are only a few of the virtual events. With over 100 clubs, COD has a club for everyone. 

4. Get Moving

“Go for a walk or work out. Gotta get some physical movement so that the body feels and functions well,” said Seguban.

Not only is exercise physically good for the body, but being active produces endorphins and helps cognitive ability. Gretchen Reynolds, a writer for the New York Times, writes, “The children who attended the most exercise sessions showed the greatest improvements in their cognitive scores.” 

5. Find Support

“Academically, when I started to fall behind in classes or had questions about certain topics, I sought help from the Learning Commons under a tutor that was able to guide me in the right directions,” said Laricchia. 

If you are struggling, reach out. COD offers many different resources to aid their students, faculty and staff. Counseling, Advising, and Transfer services support students in reaching educational goals and career aspirations. They offer academic, transfer and personal counseling. The fuel pantry helps support those facing food insecurity.