Happy St. Patricks Day Everyone!!
I know the world is CRAZY and I know everyone wants to RAGE, but like can we just not for once?
If you are college or high school student and your classes have been moved to online the rest of the semester and you are specifically a senior, I completely understand the anger, the sadness, and the resentment, but none of that is going to help your grades and help you achieve greatness in the face of adversity. This is your moment to show life that you are resilient. With that being said, it is completely normal and okay to have these feelings and it is okay to take time to express these feelings. Expressing our feelings about a situation is the most important step to moving on. Keywords in that sentence are moving on. The online classes are coming and it can't be stopped now, so as to benefit yourself academically, you have to get in the right mindset and headspace. That is totally easier said than done, but I am going to share with you a short story as well as some tips that will hopefully help you be happy and successful with the online format of classes. Trust me, none of us are happy about it, but what's done is done and we need MORE POSITIVE VIBES PLZZZZ.
If its big news to any of you, I took a year off school due to some circumstances and I was completely devastated ( this was the 2018-19 school year, I am now back in school). I never planned for a gap year and I always thought it was horrible if you had to take one. Future me now knows that that is not true and that taking a gap year was the best thing I could have done for myself at the time. I was determined to only take one though so I still had to keep my academic motivation up over that year. Once the summer rolled around, I realized I should take summer classes to make up some of the lost time. With me living in Lousiville, KY at that time and wanting to go to WKU, my only option was online. I was angry that they were online, I was angry that I had to take them that way because of my gap year, I was angry that I was going to have to do school work without the college experience. It sucked. But I quickly realized that that mindset was not going to get me far, if anywhere. They were online classes, no college expeirence, but I couldn't risk not taking them and having an extra semester that I did not need so it had to be done. I quickly shifted my mindset and outlook of the situation and these tips and tricks are what I used in that situation:
* Most of these tips apply to people whos classes are not meeting virtually, but have online work now. Although if your class is meeting virtually at the same time as the face to face, these tips will still be helpful most certainly. My classes will not be meeting virtually so I will be using what I did last summer to help me!
1. MAKE A SCHEDULE:
This is such a huge game-changer. I had to make a really extensive schedule as I was taking on-demand classes that have no deadlines as long as your work is done within 9 months. I wanted to get my work done in 2 and a half so I had to really follow a strict schedule. If your class is meeting virtually at the same time as normal, then I do not think you will have too hard of a time sticking to a schedule, but if you are like me and are not having to meet virtually, there will be times where you will put something off till the last minute of the day or you will just want to do school work whenever you feel like it. That cannot happen! You must stick to a schedule so that you get the most information possible in a timely manner and do not fall behind. Having things like a planner, or using google calendar can help with this. I use pocket schedule, which is an app on my iPhone where I input my classes and what time id like to work on them and then I input all the assignments and when they are due and it sends me reminders for when the time starts and when to work on assignments!
2. READ/USE YOUR TEXTBOOK:
If you have a book or textbook for your class and you have not opened it once, now is your time. Again, if you are meeting virtually still with your teacher, then you may be able to squeeze by still, but if not, you aren't getting an as in-depth explanation about concepts and topics as you would in a lecture setting, or your teacher may be posting slides and notes and if there is something that is confusing, your book can really help you. Your textbook will be your best friend, so do not leave them out of the loop. Taking notes from what you read and adding it to class notes can also be very helpful when studying as you are better able to remember what you read. Remember to read a paragraph- a page first and then take notes on what you read in your own words.
3. ASK QUESTIONS:
I am sure everyone's teachers are aware of how chaotic this change can be and if they are a human being, I am sure they are more than willing to clarify any/all confusions you may have about the new format, information, deadlines, and other things. Pouting and getting upset because you do not understand something without reaching out for help to anyone is lazy, so do not be lazy. It is a big change that will require some effort.
4. TRY HARD TO STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME:
Try staying ahead or very on top of your work. It can quickly become very overwhelming if you start to fall behind or if you are doing assignments right before the deadline. This goes for many formats of learning, but definitely online because there's not a lot of people reminding you that something is due, or there isn't a teacher telling you at the end of every class to remember to turn something in.
5. SCHEDULE IN FREE TIME:
It's like having a job from home, you have to know when to turn off everything and unplug. While you do need to stay on top of your work, you also won't last long if you are constantly working. You must schedule in free time to do things you enjoy and to express your creativity. This doesn't have to be a set time each day, although it is preferred as its helpful to stick to a schedule, it could be a nap, an activity, exercising, cooking, cleaning. It could be whatever brings joy to your mind and motivates you to keep going.
Lastly, but not least, I have a good tip to remember - This is not a time to schedule a one month trip to the Bahamas where " I promise I'll also do my school work there" happens. No, you won't. Scheduling trips and things you would not have normally scheduled had you had to attend a face to face classes will only hinder your academic achievements. This switch to online is not for vacations, it's for making sure that we all still get the best possible education while facing the adversity that is the chaos of today. Stay happy, stay healthy, and stay home.
Rachel
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