How Online Learning Prepares Students for Remote Work
A study by IWG found that 70% of people globally work remotely at least one day a week. Since the pandemic, this trending topic of “working remotely” has turned into the new normal, and people are wondering if this new normal will continue 10 years from now and beyond. Many companies and businesses have shut down their offices completely to take advantage of this opportunity to lower expenditures and take advantage of extra finances to take on more employees who can work from home.
Remote learning, on the other hand, has been around for a while, but even so, remote education has taken off since 2020. Let’s discuss further how you can prepare to work remotely while you are taking classes online.
Cultivating Technical Skills
Most employers are looking for candidates who are computer literate. As a result, you should have some knowledge of email, and collaboration tools like Brightspace, Zoom video conferencing, and Microsoft Office. In most traditional colleges, this type of skill was not taught. You had to specifically take a computer class to learn these skills, until recently when colleges branched out into the online world. Many have had to create classes that help prepare students for the technical skills they will need to maneuver around for their classes as well as with their team members in their careers.
Does anyone remember their high school computer classes? Most may need to freshen up on their computer skills, and now some colleges are offering introductory online courses to help students learn how to write their papers, save files, take video calls, and use the internet for research. This may seem like a trivial thing to teach, but now more than ever, adult students who are used to a traditional classroom, are going back to school in hopes of pursuing their goals. Colleges have found these classes to be extremely helpful for students. It is also helpful to attend any educational webinars that may help enhance your experience.
Promoting a Better Work-Life Balance
Anytime you are in a new environment, there is an adjustment where you have to find your new routine. The same holds true for maintaining a work-life balance when working from home. For instance, when working from home, you are given the opportunity to work at your leisure. However, many have found the lack of (structure or schedule) when working remotely to be a challenge. Going to school online can give you the skills to create a schedule for yourself that will help you balance work and family. Designating an hour each day of the week to focus on school work can help you develop time management skills and a remote schedule that works for you.
Better Time Management Skills
Time is money, right? Those who work from home have all the time in the world to complete projects and check their emails, but how can going to school help create better time management skills? When you take classes online, you are essentially learning how to manage your time based on your assignments. If there is a discussion assignment due every Wednesday, you know that every Wednesday you will need to take time to complete that task. The same goes for your professional life. If you know you have a weekly meeting every Monday at 9 a.m. The skills you learned from school can help you operate more efficiently when you are starting out in your career.
As a college student, it is helpful to learn how to use different programs that you will use in your career. Some programs that may be useful are project management applications like Microsoft One Note or Asana which will help you to organize your schedule as well as your calendar app on your phone. The calendar on your phone allows you to set up reminders that can help you remember when projects are due. It can also help you determine what meetings you have for the week. Microsoft One Note helps you create a calendar, make a to-do list, and even share your lists and calendars with other people on your team. Microsoft One Note is a great tool to store files that are being used for a project, as well as help keep track of projects within your workgroup.
There are many more applications and systems that can help you better your time management skills. Here are some great time management applications for professionals.
Learning How to Stop Procrastinating and Stay Organized
Raise your hand if you are the type of person that thrives on waiting until the last minute to turn in that paper or start on that project.
People thrive on the thrill of procrastination; however, it does not always end well for those who participate. When taking classes online, you will have due dates and assignments. You can prepare yourself for a successful start to your career as a remote worker, by having an established method of organization. So start thinking about how you might prepare yourself for this while you are in school. Once you find your niche, it is easier to jump right into a position after college and create a workspace that works for you.
Lastly, give yourself grace. Something students often learn when attending college online is that, as they finish their degree program, giving themselves time and room to create happy little messes (in the words of Bob Ross) is highly recommended. It makes more sense to make these mistakes now and learn from them before you start your career. However, even when you finally land that position, it is important to remind yourself that you have the tools to succeed.
Next Steps
Colorado Christian University holds a standard of success in each program of study. CCU Online is dedicated to our students in preparing them for a learning experience they will use in their careers. Through higher education and integration of faith, CCU has created the tools and classes to prepare you for a successful career in college and beyond.
Colorado Christian University does not guarantee any job placement as a result of earning this or any other degrees offered by the university.