If you are new to online studying it can be difficult to make a start to your online Hospitality course. That's why we are here for you to help you along the way.
Online education is relatively new but most of us have experience doing it already (even if we don't realize we have). Think of a mandatory course you had to take for work or as an extracurriculur activity in college.
The numbers don't lie. In 2018, graduate students are the most likely to take at least some of their courses online (nearly 40 percent do), followed by four-year (34.5 percent) and two-year undergraduates (33.8 percent). Source: National Center for Education Statistics
In the Hospitality industry continueous education is very important, because hospitality trends, service methods and guests expectations are constantly changing. Besides this, technology is changing our industry massively, so don't wait around and make sure you stay up-to-date to boost your career or improve your career chances.
If you are already enrolled in an online Hospitality course, or thinking of doing so, then scroll down to see our 7 top tips for studying a Hospitality course online.
1. Make a schedule
Most online or distance learning courses offer a maximum level of flexibility, which is perfect if you work in the Hospitality industry and have a crazy work schedule. It does however mean that students could fall in to the trap of giving up. Making a schedule will help students to be more disciplined when it comes to studying. Make sure your schedule is managable and achievable to keep yourself motivated. Students who succeed are usually those who spend at least some time every day on their course to make some progress.
2. Remain focused
Because students are not in a physical classroom, remaining focused when studying online can be challenging. It is important you are able to stay focused. Keeping a designated place in your home to study can be helpful. Also make sure you are logged out of social media networks and your phone is on silent, or turn off push notifications of apps that you know will distract you. Finally, we would advice to not study too many hours in one go. It's much more effective to spend 1 hour a day on your online studies than to study 8 hours in a row. Most brains can simply not take in that amount of information.
3. Break down tasks
Before you start your studies, make sure you go over your entire syllabus. By breaking down your studies in chapters you get a feeling of accomplishment because you can easily oversee your work and plan accordingly. Most of our Hospitality Certificate Programs offer tests at the end of each chapter, which is an amazing motivator for our students. Students feel accomplishment after they have successfully finished the test at the end of the chapter, and can confidentally move on to the next one.
4. Take notes
It might seem old fashioned to take notes when studying online, but it is a great tool to remember information, especially the little bits that just won't stick. A pen and paper works, but our courses contain technology where the note section is integrated into the study book to make it super easy. If you'd like to take separate notes on another device or in another app, simply use the Notes app. We can also recommend Evernote.
5. Reward yourself
Everyone needs a little bonus now and then and to keep yourself motivated it is important you allow yourself little things that make you feel good. Think of allowing yourself some extra screen time when you've been successful studying your online Hospitality course, or allow yourself to spend time with friends and family. Of course some chocolate chip cookies also do the job!
6. Do one thing at a time
Multitasking is something that is not beneficial to students' focus, and it decreases the amount of correct information students are able to take in. An array of studies has found a list of negative effects on the brain, from a decrease in efficiency to a decrease in IQ points. So make sure that, when pursuing your online Hospitality course, you switch off or mute apps and devices and to let your friends and family know you are focusing on your studies.
7. Take breaks
The performance of students dramatically decreases if they are feeling tired or frustrated. Make sure you allow yourself to take a break when things don't go well. Go for a run or take another form of exercise to regain your focus and clear your mind. This will be very effective to be successful in your online Hospitality course. Make sure you take your break away from your study environment for maximum success.
