Succeeding in Grad School, Part 1: Learning and studying remotely

Online and distance learning are becoming increasingly common, a trend that was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, the CSU system offers numerous fully-online programs, and several more programs offer online courses or hybrid options.

However, online and distance learning may pose challenges for graduate students. Many students have a hard time avoiding distractions when forced to do their academic work from home. In addition, many have difficulty maintaining a consistent work schedule or finding a healthy balance between work time and leisure time, while others are simply exhausted by spending hours on video conferencing apps like Zoom. Furthermore, distance learning students may have difficulties making academic progress without easy access to libraries, laboratories, archives, and computer labs on campus.

Obviously, there is no “quick fix” that can resolve all the difficulties you might face as an online or distance-learning student. However, there are some strategies you can use to make these difficulties a little easier to manage.

Practicing acceptance and self-compassion

For starters, there is nothing wrong with you if you’re struggling with the challenges of adapting to online or distance learning. In fact, it is natural to struggle with change or a new way of doing things. Furthermore, it is understandable that such struggles may take a temporary toll on your academic productivity.

Rather than berate yourself for being less productive, it is important to practice self-compassion, meaning that you should treat yourself with the same compassion that you might show to a close friend or relative who is having a difficult time. The following “mantras” might be helpful in this regard:

It is OK to struggle with a new mode of learning.
I accept that my productivity may be lower at first.
I cannot abuse myself into achieving highly. But if I give myself permission to grow, experiment, and develop (which often requires making mistakes), I will get better as time passes.

Accepting that you are having difficulty, and being compassionate to yourself as a result, can go a long way toward improving both your mood and your productivity. For more on maintaining mental health, see Part 2 of this series.

Beating “Zoom fatigue”

Many people have found that they feel exhausted after attending video-based meetings for work or school. In fact, many find these video meetings to be more exhausting than in-person meetings, an experience that is often called “Zoom fatigue” (although it should be noted that this fatigue is not limited to Zoom—any video conferencing app can cause exhaustion).

Of course, Zoom and other video conferencing tools were indispensable during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The goal here is not to pick on Zoom or any other tech company. Rather, the goal is to identify, and learn to overcome, some of the challenges caused by video conferencing in general.

One such challenge is “nonverbal overload,” which is described by the cognitive psychologist Jeremy Bailenson as the discomfort that results from the extended eye contact and large facial close-ups that occur during video meetings. In real life, these sorts of nonverbal contact—long, steady eye contact and close facial proximity—occur only in intimate relationships or physical fights. Thus, enduring long bouts of such contact during Zoom meetings with colleagues and classmates can be emotionally draining and can even stimulate the brain’s “fight or flight response.” Needless to say, such experiences are stressful.

Fortunately, there are several easy ways to reduce or eliminate “Zoom fatigue.” You might consider:

Positioning yourself farther from the camera so that your own image is not too big and imposing (for either yourself or others).
Resizing the windows in your video conferencing app so that the images of people’s faces are smaller. You can consult the help files of your preferred app for instructions. For example, Zoom has multiple display options that can be modified for your ease and comfort.
Asking your professor and/or classmates for permission to turn off your video camera and use audio only during the video conference.
Suggesting phone calls, rather than video conferences, whenever possible.
Limiting the use of video conferences during leisure time and instead keeping in touch with friends and family through other means, like in-person hangouts (if possible), phone calls, texts, emails, and social media apps.

Obviously, there is no perfect solution to the ubiquity of video conferencing in online and distance learning situations. But practicing some of the “video hygiene” techniques described above can help.

Maintaining focus

Another risk of online learning is the temptation to “multitask.” For example, sending a text or email during a video lecture might seem like a good use of time. You’re accomplishing multiple goals during the same period, right? Unfortunately, research has demonstrated that multitasking is mostly a myth. What seems like multitasking is simply the brain switching rapidly between multiple tasks. This rapid switching wastes time, decreases accuracy, and interferes with the process of forming new memories.

To make the most of online learning, avoid trying to multitask and instead:

“Monotask” by eliminating distractions and focusing on one task at a time. For example, you can put your phone on silent or “do not disturb” mode for the duration of a lecture. Or you can use programs like “Freedom” to temporarily block out the internet or distracting apps for set periods of time, allowing you to focus on completing assignments.
Set boundaries to give yourself time for your online classes, just as you would for any class. Schedule time on your calendar for lectures, homework, and office hours, as needed, and let your family or housemates know that you won’t be available during those times. Whether online or in-person, your classes are equally real. They all cost money, count toward your degree progress, and require you to master advanced skills. As such, they should be taken seriously.
If you are distracted by noise, try investing in a pair of noise cancelling headphones or safety earmuffs, or try an app like Noisli to drown out disruptive noise with soothing “white noise.” You can also find free “white noise” playlists on YouTube.
Redirect interruptions by using what Francisco Cirillo, the inventor of the “pomodoro technique” (discussed in the next section), calls the “inform – negotiate – call back” strategy. That is, when someone interrupts your work, let them know that you’re busy (“inform”), agree on a future time that you’ll get back to them (“negotiate”), and then proceed with what you were doing until the agreed-upon time (the “call back” time). This strategy helps you minimize the length of interruptions and maximize your “time-on-task.”

Managing time and maintaining a schedule

A related pitfall of remote learning is the failure to manage your time or create a consistent schedule. Procrastination is a common challenge even under the best circumstances. But if your bedroom also functions as a study hall, office, or lab, it is much easier to avoid responsibilities and lounge around in your pajamas all day. As Amanda Merner writes for the APS blog, studying at home makes it all too easy to “get sucked into a Netflix series, only to come-to 8 hours later in the same pajamas, with the same email draft open on your laptop.” Maintaining a consistent schedule can help you avoid this problem.

To maintain a consistent schedule, try the following:

Do your best to get up at the same time every day. Routines help with productivity.
After getting up, follow your normal morning routine. Shower and change out of your pajamas, just as you always would. Such “rituals” can improve your mood and make you feel more productive.
If possible, avoid working on your bed. Doing so can make you sleepy. It can also interfere with your sleep if you start thinking of your bed as a workspace.
Use the “pomodoro technique” to plan work periods and break periods. For example: set a timer for 25 minutes, during which you ignore your phone and other distractions and focus on a single task (e.g. writing the “Methods” section of your paper). After the timer goes off, enjoy a 5 or 10 minute break period. Then repeat the process.
Use a calendar to keep track of assignments, due dates, and deadlines. One approach is to write down major deadlines and plan backwards from them (e.g., if an assignment is due on the 15^th of next month, what do you have to do each day, and each week, to get the assignment done comfortably by the deadline?). Such backwards-planning is a useful habit to practice any time, but it is especially critical during online instruction.
Syllabi and class websites are an excellent source of information—read them closely and take note of important information and deadlines. A pet peeve of many professors is being forced to answer questions whose answers are already clearly listed on the syllabus! More importantly, the better you keep track of expectations and due dates, the less likely you are to fall behind.

Accessing academic materials online

If you are completing an online degree via distance learning, you likely live far away from campus libraries and collections. This distance can make it difficult to access scholarly materials needed for your graduate studies. However, CSULB makes a wealth of online resources available through the University Library—visit the Library’s Research Tools page to learn about and access these resources.

In addition, many publishers and platforms offer free, “open access” materials and “open educational resources” (OERs) that can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection.

The following resources can help you find open access/OER materials:

The CSULB University Library’s “Online Resources” page.
The OER Commons “Resources” page
The University of Pittsburgh “OER - Open Educational Resources: Big List of Resources” page
The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
The University of Oxford’s Open Access journals
The Omicsonline list of open access journals

These are just a small sample of the many resources available. Doing a web search for “open access journals” or “open educational resources” can bring up other materials.

Maintaining community remotely

Studying remotely means less interaction with classmates and peers. This is unfortunate, because peer interactions—including friendships, mentoring relationships, and mutual academic support—are often among the most valuable aspects of a grad student’s career.

There are several things that you can do to try to preserve or maintain these valuable relationships:

Create an online study group through email, Zoom, Canvas, or another platform. Many students work best in groups. While it might be impossible to meet in person, you can still simulate a group atmosphere through a video conference, email thread, discussion board, or other virtual platform.
Keep in touch with classmates and instructors regularly. You can contact classmates through Canvas or student email. You can also attend your professors’ virtual office hours. Regular contact is good for both your progress and your mental health. And remember that, with online learning, we’re all in this together. Your peers and professors may also feel isolated and will value the communication.
Attend virtual workshops and other events to network and to foster a sense of community. The Graduate Center and Career Development Center offer regular programming. You can also check the website of your department or program for upcoming events.

While there is no denying that online or distance learning does not work perfectly for all students, applying the tips and techniques on this page can help make your remote graduate study experience successful.

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