Like the millions of other students around the world, I too jumped for joy at the fact that I could now attend all my classes from the comfort of my own bed. It just made the whole idea of “going to school”, a lot more tolerable. No more waking up extra early to get ready, waiting at the bus stop in the cold, enduring long one-hour commutes to and from campus. It’s every student’s dream come true! Right?
Having been in online school for almost 3 months myself, I admit to facing numerous challenges in adjusting to this new norm of “remote learning”. From seeing all my classmates and professors only through a screen to battling my poor Wi-Fi connection on the daily, to watching pre-recorded lectures, taking digital notes – the list goes on! It was all such a weird adjustment for me to make in comparison to my traditional school experience and eventually, it started to take a toll. But luckily with time, I’ve been able to come up with some helpful tips to help myself navigate through this interesting school period, which I hope you might find helpful too!
- Digital Note taking
If you’re anything like me, you love taking notes the old-fashioned way, by writing. But when you’re in online school full-time, it can be hard to keep up with writing literally everything down! Eventually, I found myself getting tired of repetitively having to keep up and write all my lecture and textbook notes for each of my classes. As time went on, my love for handwritten notes was overweighed by my lack of motivation and exhaustion in keeping up with everything. That’s why I decided to convert to taking digital notes.
During my live online lectures, I found it hard having to constantly monitor the prof’s shared screen, while looking down to write notes – all while occasionally getting distracted by my peer’s zoom windows. That’s when I finally decided to give online note-taking a try! As generic of a tip this may sound, it really can make the WORLD of difference in comprehension during class. A simple split-screen with the live lecture on the left, and Microsoft OneNote on the right (my preferred digital note-taking platform) – was the key to my success in capturing everything that was mentioned in my lectures. So, for all my old-fashioned, write-o-holics out there, give digital note-taking a try – your hands (and grades) may thank you!
Not too sure where to start? Check this out to learn about some great digital note-taking apps!
2. Agendas and Traditional Planning
After spending so many hours each day staring at a screen for school, it can get seriously strenuous on the eyes. That’s why I decided to invest in an agenda to plan my days, screen-free! This has allowed me to take some time away from the screens, and just plan my day, tasks, and homework out accordingly – in any way I want! Whilst there are many digital planners available nowadays, I’ve personally found it very therapeutic to set aside some “me time” and plan my days out accordingly in my own paperback agenda. In that way, my agenda and days are always planned and customized accordingly to how I want it – without limiting myself to just any generic digital planner/calendar. Plus, it will make planning a lot more engaging and fun!
Interested in getting a planner for yourself? Check this site out for a list of some great options, and boost your productivity!
3. Change of Scenery
I find this tip is most helpful to those who both work AND study remotely! Whether you live in a house, a condo or apartment, high-rise, etc. – try to designate a well-lit, separate space that’s meant for work, and school respectively! Doing so would allow you to associate that space just for its designated purpose, and not combined. Combining both spaces together can be mentally overwhelming, tiring, and redundant to see over time – which I found can impact your performance both academically and professionally.
Due to my personal limited space, I had no choice but to designate my desk for both school and work. However, I try to attend my live online lectures and study downstairs in my living room whenever I can! My desk is also against my bedroom window, ensuring I receive a lot of natural light throughout the day as I work. After trying this change of scenery out myself for a few months, I felt both mentally and physically refreshed by dedicating a specific space for work, and study. My motivation increased, energy levels surged up, and I felt overall refreshed to tackle whichever tasks I had to complete accordingly!
The space where you spend most of your time can impact your overall mental health, and motivation – so make sure it’s a space that makes you feel refreshed, energized, and excited to see and go to every day – so choose wisely!
4. De-Stress
Although this tip may be seen as a “given” in most of your routines, for many it’s not. It’s easy to work for hours straight, especially when you’re insanely busy and have lots of work to do. However, burnout is real and can have long-term physical effects on the body if not handled properly. That’s why it’s important to set aside some “you” time, especially when the majority of our day involves staring at screens while studying, working, and more.
The ways I found that I like to de-stress are to take 30 minutes breaks after 1 hour of studying, light a scented candle and play soft music in the background. I also love making myself a cup of green tea to drink, both during my breaks and while I’m studying or working! Click here to see a list of some of my fave green teas (#3 and 4 are my personal faves!)
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