Secret Sauce to Online Schoolwork Motivation

So, have you figured out all the perks of going to school online yet? Obviously, you can do your school work any time of the day that suits you, but it is the “anywhere” perk that I find awesome. My first two years of college I spent at a physical college campus. The second two years I went to college online. This allowed me to work full-time during the day (much like some of you go to school during the day) and then complete my college work at night and on weekends.

Maybe this isn’t something an FLVS staff member should admit, but hey, I’ll be honest – most Saturdays, the very last thing I wanted to do was schoolwork. Can you relate?

Then I found the secret sauce to online schoolwork motivation: Internet hotspots!!!

I found that my favorite place to do my college work online (after I had a full day at work) was an Internet hotspot with a good cup of coffee. (You just had a flash of an Iced Caramel Macchiato didn’t you?) I would hole up at Panera Bread or my local coffee shop and sit there until I finished the assignment I needed to complete or read. This may not be for everyone, but if you haven’t tried this yet, give it a shot! (In fact, I’m writing this post from a coffee shop.)

There are some apps that help you find local hotspots in your area. WifiFreeSpot.com has listings by state and county as well. Most notably McDonalds, Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, and Panera Bread have free Internet. Some places may limit your online time to 30 minutes during peak hours such as lunch. You may also find you enjoy working at some locations more than others. Some of the places I listed above I found too noisy – but that is just personal preference.

I hope you are able to give it a try! Perhaps this will work for you and you’ll be blazing through your courses (not to mention some cups of coffee). Good luck!

Post by Sarah Powers, Former Instructional Designer at FLVS