How to Prepare for an Online Fall 2020 Semester
For many of us, school this fall will be either completely or partially remote. Unlike in March, this fall, we have a little time to prepare ourselves for the upcoming challenges and adjustments that come with being remote again. Here’s a quick list of reminders to get yourself ready to learn right out of your room!
1) Create a separate workspace
This is definitely my biggest takeaway from remote learning in Spring 2020. As soon as I started to blend my workspace and rest space, I felt more stressed out and was less productive. It’s hard enough as it is to separate school life from home life when you’re at home, but I think even the smallest distinction can make a huge difference. If you have a desk, I highly recommend making it your workspace and organizing your work on it each night. Keep all your notebooks, textbooks, etc. in the workspace and not all over your room or house. If you don’t have a desk, try changing your habits when you work from your bed. I’d recommend keeping a certain set up for when you work vs. when you sleep. For example, if your bed is against a wall, prop your pillow up and sit in a different direction while you work.
2) Eat energizing meals!
I’ve always struggled with keeping a balanced eating schedule, but eating three filling meals a day has helped me keep track of time and stay energized during the day. Breakfast is definitely the hardest for me to keep up with, so I try to make something exciting that will motivate me to eat and get my day started. My best breakfast recommendations are eggs with toast, some fruit such as bananas, strawberries or blueberries, microwave oatmeal because it’s easy to prepare, or if I have extra time, pancakes. Also, science recommends waiting 90 minutes after waking up to have your first cup of coffee. It’s very tempting to drink coffee first thing in the morning, but waiting an hour and a half can make the effects of caffeine more powerful and last longer.
3) Use a planner
My 2019-2020 planner pretty much fell off once quarantine started, but I’m determined to get back on track during this upcoming school year. You don’t need to get anything fancy, either! I use a regular notebook and just draw out the days and a priority list for each day. It helps to take all the thoughts in my head and put them down on paper. Using a planner in the past has helped me organize my day really well and section off times for breaks as well.
4) Leave time for hobbies
Life is pretty chaotic these days. Between dealing with poor WiFi connection during classes, trying to FaceTime friends regularly, and staying on top of classwork, it just doesn’t seem like there are enough hours in the day for some good old fashioned free time. But it’s more important than ever to give ourselves a break from both the screen and the world by absorbing ourselves in our hobbies. Over quarantine, I got back into reading, which I haven’t done much of since I started college two years ago. Reading has been the perfect escape for me. Not only does it let me feel like I’m not just stuck in my room all day, but it’s also a great way to get me off my phone and computer. But even if your hobby requires you to be online, it’s still a great way to destress. You deserve it!
5) Make hygiene a top priority
As this pandemic has made very clear, keeping clean is necessary to keep ourselves and others safe. It’s just as important to keep your room, apartment, house, etc. clean. I aim to clean my room once a week and wash my sheets every two weeks. This makes my space feel refreshed and is similar to my routine in college when I was living in an apartment. When I clean, I make sure to vacuum the floor and dust the surfaces too. In terms of personal hygiene, keeping a night routine during the school year has been helpful in preventing breakouts and maintaining good overall cleanliness. I like to use a simple night face wash and brush my teeth before getting into bed.
I hope these tips help you feel more prepared for the challenges ahead. This year is definitely different than the others, but keeping habits and trying to get excited about the little things is helping me keep a positive outlook!
