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After taking the ESLTech course, these  are some of the things I have learned about the comparison between online and face-to-face classes:

Similarities: Online learning and face-to-face learning both require good time-management. Something you can do to manage your time better is to write down what you plan to get done for specific days in a notebook. This allows for an easy-to-access calendar to know what you need to finish and when. A major misconception about online classes is that they are less work than face-to-face classes. In fact, online classes and face-to-face classes often have about the same workload.

Differences: Online classes do not have lectures to physically go to, so often times you do not get to see your teacher in person. This can make online classes a little more difficult, because it is harder to ask questions. You often do not make as many friends in online classes due to lack of communication and not seeing them. A major difference between online and face-to-face classes is the amount of flexibility to get assignments done. I enjoy the fact that online classes allow you to do assignments when it fits better in your schedule rather than going to a lecture at a specific time everyday.

In conclusion, both course formats have their own advantages and disadvantages. Online classes allow for flexibility, but face-to-face classes allow for more communication with the people in your environment. I prefer a mix of both. If my schedule seems too full for specific lecture times, I opt for a couple online courses. Ultimately the choice is yours when it comes to choosing your preferred classroom formats.

A way to stay motivated is to set goals for yourself. An easy 4 step process for setting goals that I learned in one of my readings from this class is:

1. Be aware of your interests, abilities, and talents.
2. Be aware of the choices you can make.
3. Be aware of the choices that best fit your interests.
4. Be aware of the process that it will take to get to your goal.

An example of a goal is losing 20 pounds. The process leading up to your goal is going to the gym consistently and eating healthy food consistently. You will also need to eat less calories than you burn. Success comes to the people who work hard and put in effort to achieve their goals.

Motivation contains three aspects: Drive, Discipline, and Determination. Drive is what you feel before you start doing an action. For example, college student who have drive don’t just aim to pass their classes. They give 100% of their effort to do well and succeed. This is much like taking the first step in a journey. From the 20 pounds example above, drive is the feeling you get before you get in your car and start driving to the gym or taking the first bite of healthy food.

Discipline is the ability to keep doing the action over an extended period of time. It is the aspect of consistency. People who are self-disciplined are willing to experience short-term pain everyday in order to have long-term gain. They learn to suffer a little, so they get rewarded big things overtime. From the 20 pounds example above, discipline is the consistency part of going to the gym and eating healthy everyday.

Determination is the ability to continue pursuing your goals even after setbacks and frustration. These people end up going far in life, because they do not let failure stop them from achieving what they want. They are reported to feel healthier and happier throughout life. From the 20 pounds example above, determination is the ability to get back to the gym when an injury recovers or lack the free time to go. You do not let the previous injury stop you from achieving the goal you set for yourself.

After reading this post about motivation, I hope that you understand the aspects of it more. Also I hope this helps you know how to stay motivated to achieve your short-term and long-term goals.

Stopping your procrastination habits is similar to the gaining motivation section of this portfolio. Lack of motivation is one of the key reasons why people procrastinate.

Some tips that I learned in the ESLTech course is to create a study space where there is minimal distractions such as your cell phone. Procrastinators are always looking for a way to distract themselves from their tasks. They look for these distractions to create an excuse for themselves that they “don’t have enough time” or “will do it tomorrow.” By isolating your cell phone, you begin to avoid losing focus whenever a text pops up. Also you are less tempted to grab it and check social media. These small changes can make a huge difference in your productivity. You start to spend your time working rather than staring at your phone.

Another thing you should do to stop procrastinating is set really small goals and deadlines for yourself. If you have a big project to finish in a couple weeks, try to mark small chunks of the assignment that you will have done by the days leading to the due date. For each day leading to the due date, aim to do a little bit of the project at a time. By the time the due date approaches, you will thank yourself for all the stress you relieved by spreading out the workload.

There is no such thing as “I don’t have enough time to do that.” It is a matter of priorities. Procrastinators have their priorities wrong. They often choose to watch Youtube videos or Netflix for hours instead of working on their homework assignment that is due the next day. They think to themselves that the assignment “is not important” and that they “will get to the assignment after one more episode.” Next thing they know, 3 hours go by, and they sit there wondering what happened to their time. Once they get their priorities correct, they will become more efficient. They’ll start to emphasize how important each assignment is. Their thinking will start to change into “it’s better if I do this now and relax after.”

These three strategies are some things I learned in the course. I hope these strategies help you out if you find yourself procrastinating a lot.