Studying Online;Succeeding through Distance Learning at University

Preparing for online study 31 
If you sit facing a window so that the light does not refect on your 
screen and you become visible on video conference calls, there is 
the danger that you will be distracted by what is going on outside 
your room. Plus, you are likely to have the door behind you in 
this arrangement, which means you could be constantly worried 
about potential interruptions. 
Obviously, there will be practical considerations as to where you 
can put your desk. However, many people just put the desk against 
the wall without thinking what that would mean for studying over 
the long term. Getting the position of the desk right at the outset 
will help you ensure that your studies are less prone to problems 
and difculties. Ergonomics experts suggest that if you cannot get 
the ideal position for your desk, having the window to the side is 
a good compromise. Tis means you will have natural light falling 
on your desk, but you will be less distracted and avoid the issue of 
refections on the screen. 
Lighting the room 
You are going to be reading and watching a great deal of mate-
rial online. However, you will also be using paper documents 
and books, as well as making your own handwritten notes. Tis 
means you need to think carefully about lighting in your study 
room. You will need lighting that doesn’t refect on the screen and 
allows you to see the type clearly when looking at print. When 
students only studied using printed materials, a single desk lamp 
was all that was needed. However, when studying online, you will 
be switching from computer screen to print, to mobile phone 
and back again. If these are not illuminated well, you could sufer 
eyestrain and be less productive as you have to keep arranging 
things so you can see them clearly. As a result, spending time and 
money on setting up the lighting is worthwhile for the long term. 
Indeed, according to the lighting expert Mike Cheong, there is 
a relationship between good lighting and grades achieved when 
studying. In other words, getting the lighting right could help you 

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