It’s currently 8:34 PM on a Sunday night. Tomorrow, is my first day of school. However, this year is different from all the others because instead of waking up, getting dressed and driving for fifteen minutes, all I have to do is sit down at my desk and log onto “school”. In my county, students were given the option between going back to school in-person and staying home. Some chose to return, but I would say the majority of my classmates opted to stay home. To be honest, I am a little bummed that I won’t be going to campus. Do I regret my decision to stay home? Absolutely not. It’s more the fact, that to me, it doesn’t feel like school is really starting. Without all the ins and outs of school, how can we navigate and take charge of our own learning?
As someone who thrives off of schedule, I know that the key to my success with online learning is setting up my own schedule. I also believe that although it’s easy to get up five minutes before school starts and throw on a hoodie, a schedule helps everyone. In addition to helping us stay more organized, setting a schedule makes everything seem more “real”. So, tomorrow when I wake up, I am going to get dressed, do my makeup, and eat breakfast before logging on for the day. Doing something like this will honestly help you feel more alert and ready to take on the day.
Another large part of face-to-face learning is the socialization aspect. If you think back to June, and the beginning of quarantine, you may find that you often felt lonely. Since we will now be learning at home too, it’s extremely important for your mental wellbeing, to continue socializing with your friends. Text, call, Facetime, or even meet safely in small groups if you’re up to it. Whatever it is, be sure that you are having some interaction. We all know that, having people who can struggle with you, helps to get through the tough times in school.
All in all, the biggest part of learning to do online school, is taking it seriously and treating it like you would if you were going back. I’ve had many of my friends tell me, “if I’m not IN school, then I don’t feel like it’s my responsibility to get work done”. I can totally relate to this. If you’re not sitting in a classroom, something feels off. Nevertheless, we must find a way to figure out a way that makes us take responsibility. You can set timers so that you will be forced to sit down and do work for so long. Or, you can reward your hard work with an hour of TV. Whatever makes you sit down and put your energy into schoolwork is what you have to do. After all, we are in a global pandemic. If we are going to change the world, we have to fight for our own education.
Happy Living ❤
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest” -Benjamin Franklin
Featured image by @craftedbygc on unsplash.com
chocolate and politics 