Alright, so we all are stuck with another online semester which many are not so fond of, but do not fret for I have some solutions that may (or may not) help you with this new semester. Bare in mind that these tips are what I personally used to get me through my first semester online, which I found useful.
Tips:
1. Try your best to go to your classes at the assigned time whether it’s asynchronous or not. I know because we have the option of watching the recorded version of the lecture, we decide to sleep in and tell ourselves that we’ll watch the lecture at a later time. DO NOT DO THIS!! We all know you’ll leave it for the last minute and end up watching the recording at 5x its speed to catch up with the other 5 lectures you’ve missed out before finals bites you in the butt. Trust me, it’ll make your life easier if you do the said classes at the assigned time, It can also keep you on track with your assignments.
2. Continuously go to your classes every week for THE WHOLE SEMESTER. Don’t stop half way through– keep pushing yourself and keep up the good work! What helped me was the fact that I kept telling myself ‘almost done, just a few more weeks before… and then i’ll be done!’
Maybe if you had something fun planned, like getting to order food that evening, you can tell yourself to push through until you receive your ‘treat’ (the food).
3. Make notes/lists of important things to stay organized; to do lists. My room became a post-it room due to the amount I had all over the walls and desk, but trust me, It helped me finish all my assignments on time AND what’s super satisfying is being able to throw the post-it away when you have completed everything that was on it. Make sure to note the due dates as well so you can complete those that are due earlier, first.
4. Take naps. As soon as I completed a class, I took a 30-45 minute nap depending on how much time I had. If I had an hour break, my naps would be 30 mins long, however, if it were 2+ hours, I’d nap for 45 mins. This helped me SO SO much especially because of the eye strain that the computer screen causes during class. These naps gave me enough energy to complete my other classes and it also helps with heachaches.
5. Set alarms in the mornings and stick by them :- Make a routine .. wake up around the same time everyday and/or sleep around the same time everyday. If you do things consistently, it’ll help keep your mind on track with the time and day, and you will probably feel more in control of your life.
I know online school isn’t easy and can be difficult for many of you, but don’t lose hope, we’re all on the same boat and there are so many resources to use to your advantage. You’ve got this under control 😀 Take a few breaths, turn your phone off or put it on ‘do not disturb’ and let’s get through another semester!!
