Ah, back to school season: the time when I’m bored out of my mind from being antisocial all summer and excited to go back to school, only to be ready for summer break a week later. Please tell me I’m not the only one this happens to (if you're having your best coming-of-age high school summer, don’t rub it in).
A similar sequence of events will probably happen this year, but with the pandemic still going on (wear a mask!) school will look a lot different. For those of you all doing online school, here are 11 tips for the upcoming school year. Even if you’re not doing full online school, these tips can still help you when you’re studying at home. Hope this is useful, and stay safe everyone!
Some cool cherry blossoms (you know, when you're taking your study breaks you should be seeing something nature-y like this, hint hint)
1. Know yourself
Some people work best at a desk, while others can only be productive on the couch. Some work best early in the morning, while others thrive in the late hours of the night. It’s up to you to know what kind of environment you work best in and adjust your habits/space to accommodate for that. For example, I have a desk set up in the basement, and I try to get my work done as early in the day as possible because I know that if I work late at night, I won’t be able to fall asleep.
2. Separate your spaces
It’s important that you not only give yourself a clean, organized working environment, but that you also separate that working environment from where you relax or take time for yourself. It’s like how if your dinner and dessert were on the same plate, you’d want them to be separate and not touching each other because spaghetti-flavored cake isn’t the most delicious thing in the world. If you let your working and relaxing spaces overlap, you’ll find yourself relaxing when you’re supposed to be working and working when you’re supposed to be relaxing. Separating your spaces might be as simple as setting up a desk in your bedroom, but making it face away from your bed so you don’t get tempted to lie down and do work there. Overall, make a clear distinction between your working and relaxing spaces, as well as your working and relaxing time.
3. Establish a routine
Especially with online school, you’re going to have more time to yourself when you can dictate when and how you want to do work. Figure out a schedule and stick to that schedule because it’ll help you get productive and stay productive. Of course, not everyone is going to be able to channel their best fitness influencer and get up at 6 am to work out, so adapt your routine to fit how you work best. Consistently work at a time and in an environment that you like, so you’ll learn to expect what blocks of time you need to hunker down and get that work done so that you can chill out later. Maintaining a routine will likely do a solid for your physical and mental health too because your days will be less freeform and more consistent and purposeful.
4. Get ahead
If you find yourself in an online school environment where you’re aware of assignments and deadlines way ahead of times, get ahead as much as possible. Doing the work when the due date is eons away may not be the most fun at first, but you’ll soon realize the benefits when it's the day before the assignment is due and you’re gladly stress-free. If you’re provided with a due date or homework calendar at the beginning of a year or quarter, use it to your advantage to save yourself stress in the long run.
5. Take breaks
When you’re staring at a screen all day, your eyes are going to be tired and your legs are going to feel like you’ve just gone on a road trip. In the minutes you have between classes, take a break from the screen and get up, grab a drink of water, or get a snack. For those precious few minutes when you’re not required to give the screen your full attention, take that time for yourself and your health. Your work can wait for 5-10 minutes.
6. Eliminate Distractions
We all know you’re sitting in online class with your phone within reaching distance. We all know you’re scrolling through Instagram while in class because you’re ~that~ bored. I’m definitely guilty of this, but during class and times that you’ve dedicated to getting work done, the distractions have got to go. During the regular school year, I used to keep my phone in the kitchen while I worked in the dining room. I’d advise that you keep your phone in a completely different room (out of sight, out of mind) or on airplane mode/do not disturb. If you’re having trouble with this, you can download apps like Flora that help you manage your distractions. You can set study timers for when you want to work and while you’re working (and not using your phone), you’ll be able to grow a tree. If you look at your phone, your tree will die. A really cool feature of the app that you can grow trees with friends, so during the designated productive time, if anyone in the group goes on their phone, everyone’s tree will die. Don’t be that guy who ruins it for the group! You can also get a browser extension called Forest that works the same way as Flora, just with websites you don't want to visit.
7. Take advantage of free time
In online school, you’re probably going to find yourself with longer breaks between classes. I’m not at all trying to imply that for all of your class breaks and lunch breaks you should be studying away. Take breaks when you’re given them, but if you have a break that’s pretty long (more than 15 minutes), use that time to your advantage. Get a head start on your homework for that night or do some last minute review for a test next period. If your lunch break is an hour, maybe spend 10-15 minutes on some work. Make sure to relax and take a break from the screen, but also realize that excessive free time during school hours can be put to use. Also, if your teacher posts assignments for the week on the weekend, it might be a good idea to get a head start on those to reduce your workload during the week.
8. Build new connections
Just because you’re communicating through a screen doesn’t mean that you can’t still make new friends and get to know your teachers. Participate in class! Not only will it help you learn, but it makes your classmates/teacher feel like more than names on a screen, and it makes you feel like more than a name on a screen. If your teacher asks a question to the class, try your best to answer it. This online school situation is as new to you as it is to them, so be patient with them and help them out when you can. Take advantage of breakout rooms or small group discussion to reinforce your knowledge, and if you find that your group finishes their discussion early, maybe discuss some non-school subjects to get to know each other better. What have they been doing during quarantine? Why did they decide to take this class? Of course, this doesn’t mean that you get to goof off and get off track (have meaningful discussions lol).
9. Make time for your friends/family
It’ll definitely be hard to maintain friendships while we’re all apart, but cherish your family and friends. Have family dinners to discuss your days or have a picnic with your friends over the weekend. Take measures to ensure that you’re safe, but don’t let your relationships with the important people in your life suffer. Make a conscious effort to maintain those friendships, and don’t be afraid to say hello or ask to hang out (just be safe when doing so, por favor).
10. Don’t neglect your physical health
Even though you’re going to have a lot of work and not a lot of time to do it, it’s never going to be an excuse to skip out on your health. Make time to exercise every day, drink enough water (if you’re like me, then you fill it up during breaks and drink it during class when you’re bored), get all three meals in, go out for some sunshine every day, and get enough sleep! The first and last ones are definitely hard, but put in the effort because it will benefit you in the long run more than an extra half hour of cramming for a test will. Since you won't have to commute, why not spend that time exercising instead?
11. Put your mental health first
This is definitely the most important item on this list because mental health should forever remain a priority. No assignment or test is worth the suffering of your mental health, and it’s important to put everything into perspective in terms of their importance. How important is this assignment compared to the other challenges you face? Does cramming to complete the assignment outweigh maintaining your health and well-being? Many of the other tips on this list will help you mentally (like sleeping well and spending time with your family/friends), and make sure to keep your mental health a priority throughout the school year.
Good luck during the year everyone, and hope you enjoyed reading!
Komentar