Hey all! I hope everyone is home safe and well. I know a lot of people are stressed out about the mystery of online classes. I usually take online classes anyway while taking in person classes because... well... I like them. While I am still nervous about being completely online, I still feel like I could maybe, possibly, potentially help somebody with some tips I've learned on how to do well in online classes!
1. GET A PLANNER/CALENDAR/STICKY NOTE WALL!
A big thing that has always helped me is to mark down every single due date. For every due date, I also mark down which day I'll start working on the assignment. This helps me set more of a schedule for myself.
2. DO ONE THING AT A TIME.
If I start doing work while also watching Netflix on a tiny screen, I lose my concentration pretty quickly. If I sit down with a snack and try to read a chapter while eating, I have to re-read the same chapter three times. I'm not sure how great you all are at keeping focused, but I am awful. I've found it super helpful to do school work when it's time for school work, eat when it's time to eat, and watch Netflix when it's Netflix time. (Also, set a Netflix time! Leisure/relaxing is still important.)
3. REWARD YOURSELF!
A good way that I trick(?) myself into doing school work is by setting little goals. "Once I get 3 pages of this paper done, I'll go have dinner." "After I take this test, I'll go watch an episode of New Girl." It motivates me & puts me in a better mood to finish whatever I started!
4. JUST START.
I can't tell you how many times I put off a project/assignment, think about it night and day, stress over getting it one, and then once I start... it is WAY easier than anticipated. If you can just get yourself to start, you'll be golden 9/10 times.
5. SPLIT UP TASKS.
I am a person who likes to "sit down and do it all at once." I've said that phrase a thousand times. This semester, I've tried to change it up a bit. When I'd have a big project, I'd do half one day and half the next. It feels SO NICE to wake up and think "I only have to do the second half of that project today!" It can also be helpful to write out which parts of a project you'll do on certain days. It takes a big scary thing and breaks it up into tiny, less scary parts.
6. STOP PROCRASTINATING.
Easy as that, right? Just stop :-)… just kidding. It is HARD to stop procrastinating! I am definitely top 10 procrastinators of all time. If my professors knew how many assignments I finished the night before class, they'd probably stop telling people that they "can't do this assignment the night before it's due!" That being said, I've found what works for me. Every time I look at an assignment/pile of laundry/dirty dishes and think, "I'll do that later..." I ask myself, "when?" If I can't pinpoint a time that I'll be able to do it, I just do it. If I can't think of a legitimate excuse for why I can't do those things right now, I force myself to do it. Truth is, I'm NEVER going to be "in the mood" to write a long paper, watch an hour lecture, wash dishes, or fold laundry. I'm not going to wake up and "feel like it." It's always going to suck. But if I don't do it now, it's going to suck tomorrow too. I'd like to shorten the suck.
That's it, that's all I've got. I hope everybody does well in their courses. I bought stock in Zoom last night so the next time you see me, I'll be rich. Good luck!
