Online school is something that many people did not expect to go through. Well, many people also did not expect a global pandemic. Nevertheless, many students and workers are doing their work from home. As a Year 11 GCSE student, I was told to self-isolate as well as about 17-18 other girls as we had all been identified as close contacts with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. So while most of my year group was attending school, I and a few other girls were at home. Here is my experience of online school and some tips I found helpful along the way.
Figure out how you will be receiving work
Firstly, find out how you will work from home. Will you have to join live classes from home through Google Meet, do tasks the teachers set you or just revise independently? I had to do all three so figure out when you will do all of these.
Make a good routine
For me, waking up early worked best. Stick to your school timetable as much as possible, and make sure that you try to get all the work done within that lesson. This will add structure to your routine and make it feel like you really are going to school.
Make to do lists
Have a piece of paper with all your tasks for each of your subjects, and then tick off or highlight when you have finished it. You can then add other tasks you want to complete such as schoolwork.
Have a post it note for questions
If you will be returning to school soon and you want to ask some questions to your teachers in person, I would advise getting a post it note or even a small notebook dedicated to writing down all your questions. You won’t forget to ask all the questions you have!
Get organised
Make Google Drive folders and keep your notebooks tidy.
Try to have breaks without the screen
Many people are used to going on social media and being in front of a screen after just spending hours on front of another screen. This is not only harmful for your eyesight, but also for your concentration levels. Instead, take regular breaks in which you leave your study space and do other activities such as talking to your family, which will leave you feeling replenished.
Change environments
When you are in school, chances are that you are moving to a new environment every lesson and this may subconsciously make you feel more productive. Therefore, do the same thing at home and after every lesson, go out of your room for a break or for your next study session, study somewhere else in your room. It’s you tricking your brain into thinking you are ‘commuting’ when really you might be in the same room.
Have other extracurriculars
If you have online classes, you may feel like you are studying continuously all the time. However, if you incorporate activities that will also add value to your life but not necessarily be academic, you will feel accomplished in other ways. You can do this through an extracurricular activity such as making a podcast or starting a YouTube channel.
Have someone that will keep you accountable
If you want someone to be there to motivate you, you may need that one person to do it. I would advise having someone in your life that will check that you are working. For example, if you have an older sibling, they could check every hour to see if you are working. Alternatively, you could have a friend whom you send your to-do lists via social media every morning and in the night, you could check if you completed all those tasks (make it a friendly little game).
Have a positive mindset about online classes
If you tell yourself that you hate online classes, then you will hate it. So please try to keep positive about having online classes and try to enjoy this new experience. Remember, that there are many people who do not have any access to education at all but at least, we still have access to education, whether it is online or in school.
If you do online classes, make sure to tell me in the comments down below!
This pandemic is testing everyone so do not think you are alone.
Now get working!
Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!