Translation: Julie Summers

Graphics / Margrét Aðalheiður Önnu- Þorgeirsdóttir

Higher education is complicated, not least when in-person classes give way to distance learning, and there’s less oversight and support than usual. But students need not despair, for the university’s department committees have decided to draw from their well of wisdom and share some tips for distance learning with their fellow students.

Department of Humanities

Students’ right to disability services

University of Iceland students with mental or physical disabilities or specific learning difficulties that may impact their studies in some way are legally entitled to disability services. Students must apply for disability services each semester through the Student Counselling and Career Centre.

The Writing Centre

The university operates a writing centre, where students can seek help from postgraduate students educated in writing and trained as tutors. At the centre, you can get help with projects large and small, from short essays to final theses. Book an appointment on the Writing Centre’s website, ritver.hi.is.

skrambi.arnastofnun.is

Skrambi reads over Icelandic texts and highlights common spelling mistakes or typos.

Re-watch lectures before an exam

It can be helpful to review what your teacher has to say. They don’t put everything on the slides!

The bottom floor of the National University Library

Here you’ll find the Icelandic National Collection, Manuscript Department, and Women’s History Archives. These collections aren’t just fun to browse; they might contain some good resources or spark an idea for an essay!

Break up your reading over several days

Look at your syllabus and divide your required reading over several days, especially for more intense classes. A smaller amount of material spread over many days is less overwhelming than a lot of material crammed into a couple days.

Department of Engineering and Natural Sciences

Stay organized

Organize your week every Sunday night. Keeping the big picture in mind eases the pressure and helps prevent procrastination.

Meet up with friends

Watch lectures with friends. You can help each other with your homework. You’re not alone. Also, remember that it pays to make friends with the brainy, hard-working students. That will save you.

Speed up playback on lectures

Anything but double speed is a waste of time.

Toss your phone aside

You’re never going to finish these assignments if you’re constantly on Instagram. Get it done!

Third floor of VR

Take advantage of the department’s facilities! The third floor of VR has the best tables for group work, the best atmosphere in the evenings, the best water, you name it.

Coffee, plenty of coffee

It’s no military secret that coffee puts a little pep in your step. It’s important to remember that in Tæknigarður, the second batch of the day is better than the first.

Prioritize

Let’s be honest, there isn’t always enough time to do everything. But tutorials are more important than lectures, which just confuse you if you don’t understand the math.

You don’t necessarily have to read the book

Or you should try to avoid it, at least. Saving time is important. Check out Khan Academy or YouTube instead to gain a deeper understanding of the material.

Share with others

Don’t be the idiot who refuses to share answers. We’re all fighting the same battle.

Department of Social Sciences

Stick to a routine

It can be difficult to stay organized, especially in times like these. It’s terribly tempting to sleep in a bit in the mornings and just watch that lecture a little later in the day, but you’ll get into the school rhythm much better if you watch your lectures at regular times and try to study as if it were a normal school day.

Define your study time

To get yourself into study mode, it’s a good idea to define your study sessions in some way.

You can do that by studying in a certain part of the house, for instance, or listening to the same or similar music or white noise while you study. We particularly recommend Raining Forest Noise on Spotify.

Make use of technology

Canvas, Teams, and Zoom are amazing tools, and students should take advantage of everything they have to offer. On Canvas, you can create student groups for each class, which is a good way to keep track of group projects. Teams and Zoom are perfect for checking in with your classmates and chatting about anything and everything.

Don’t hesitate to get help

When times get tough, being able to turn to your teachers, university staff, and fellow students makes your life a lot easier. Don’t hesitate to contact your teacher, an academic counsellor, or someone else you think might be able to help if you don’t understand the material, are struggling with an assignment, or feel lost in your program.

Take care of yourself

It’s incredibly important to look after your mental health and wellbeing when it comes to student life. More often than not, that involves sticking to a routine. It’s the little things that make all the difference. Take regular breaks, eat regularly, and set goals for yourself. But remember, if you don’t meet your goals, it’s not the end of the world – there’s always tomorrow.

Department of Health Sciences

The Forest app

It costs a bit, but this is the only app that actually keeps me focused. You plant a tree in the app, and it dies if you use your phone for anything else. In other words, you can’t do anything but study while the tree is growing. You can even “compete” with your friends to see who managed to plant the most trees that day. Another benefit is that you can plant actual trees through the app – hurray for nature!

YouTube

YouTube has proven useful when people are confused by biology and chemistry concepts. We recommend channels like Ninja Nerd Science and Armando Hasudungan.

To-do lists

Lists can give you a good overview of your responsibilities and projects on a given day or throughout the week, and crossing things off a list as you complete them is good for the soul. Just be careful, because to-do lists can cause additional stress for people who tend to be anxious.

Change your environment

It’s often difficult to study in the same spot for a long time, so it’s good to switch it up a bit. Just sitting at the kitchen table or turning your desk around can help. You can also try studying at your parents’ house, your partner’s place, or with a friend.

Attend your online classes

Even though they’re online, and even though you might not be able to focus 100%, it’s still better than nothing – even if you’re lying in your bed half asleep.

Set a time limit for social media apps

Especially during exam season. If you go into your phone’s settings, you can set a limit for each app, like a maximum of two hours a day on Twitter. This can help ensure that you don’t accidentally end up glued to your phone for several hours.

Set a goal for yourself every day

It could be to finish reading this chapter, start that assignment, send this email, etc. Simple, easy-to-reach goals help propel you forward!

Get some fresh air

It’s always good to get out a bit in between your various tasks each day, for instance to go for a walk. It creates some “passing time” in your day, just like you’d have on campus.

Department of Education

Make use of technology!

To stay on top of your studies while on the go, download apps like SmáUglan, Canvas, and Outlook for your University of Iceland email. Notion is a brilliant organisational app you can use on both your phone and your computer. You can enter your syllabi, reading lists, and assignment due dates, and keep them all in one place!

skrif.hi.is/ritver/

An excellent website with instructions on how to reference and cite sources in essays and other written assignments.

Buy your textbooks on the Department of Education’s Facebook book exchange

You can ask for books you need or advertise ones you want to sell, and get your textbooks at fabulous prices!

Participate in student life!

The Department of Education has a vibrant student life scene. The student organisations combine forces for large events, bringing students from different programs together. The three organisations – Tumi, Kennó, and Vatnið – all have Facebook groups, and they’re a great place to find information about events and more.

Take advantage of the department’s facilities!

Skúti is a space for the department committee as well as student organisations. If the door is open, anyone can come and use the space to study or chat with others. You might say the Háma cafeteria in Stakkahlíð is the heart of the building, and it’s usually bustling. There’s also a great workspace for both individuals and groups in Klettur, or “the K”. Finally, we should mention the library at Stakkahlíð. We in the Department of Education are lucky to have access to a fantastic library right in our building. It houses the department’s writing centre, study spaces, a yoga corner, and a space for groups to meet and study (but note that you have to reserve and pay for that space).

Distance Learning Tips from the Department Committees