Freshmen and seniors alike are struggling to get back into the groove this school year; here’s some advice from the senior class to help you stay productive and healthy while learning from home. 

1. Schedule Your Day

Although our school is using synchronous learning instead of the asynchronous learning that was used last year, structure can disappear when you log out of your Zoom call. Some students have been having a hard time getting their assignments done on time. That is why scheduling out your evenings and Flex days are so important. Waking up at a consistent time and getting right to work can be the first steps to building a healthy routine. On Flex days, you should make an agreement with yourself to work for an hour, then take a short 5-10 minute break. This break helps to keep you from getting distracted while you work because now you have a scheduled time to check your phone or scroll through Instagram. By balancing schoolwork and entertainment, you can help make yourself more productive while not sacrificing your mental health.

2. Create a Work Space

Making a work space free of distractions can actually be a very good way to help put students in the mindset for learning and working. Fewer distractions means you will be more productive. Having enough desk space for your laptop and textbook is also quite helpful. So, next time you sit down with your phone to do homework, consider putting your phone in another room so you can get your homework done faster and have more time to text later. The combination of a working mindset, fewer distractions, and plenty of space can lead to students being able to get more schoolwork done in less time.

3. Get Some Sleep

Sleep is essential for students who want to succeed. On average, students should aim to get a minimum of 8 hours each night. According to this article from the University of Michigan, successful students tend to be those who are generally more well rested.  Students are one of the most sleep deprived populations. Many students even find themselves cutting sleep to do school work to get better grades. This does not help you and could actually be doing the opposite of what you think it is. It is important to take care of yourself and get good rest every night to fuel your mind and body before taking on a big day of learning. So if you’re feeling stressed or have a daunting test approaching, sleep is your best shot at a cure. If you are having trouble getting to sleep consider reducing the amount of time spent on your phone before bed, eliminating naps during the day, or turning on some white noise to relax your mind.

4. Break the Habit of Procrastination

As we find ourselves back in remote learning the motivation to actually do school seems to dissipate. To keep up with your workload, consider breaking any habits of procrastination. A quick and effective method is to immediately start your work. It is critical to simply begin doing the work in order to get back on task. Set a timer and do at least five minutes of your work. Once you get in the flow of doing your work, natural productivity should follow. Another fast tip is to set time limits on certain apps on your phone such as iMessage, Snapchat, Youtube, or Tiktok to cut back on the time spent doing unnecessary things.

5. Hand Write Your Notes

It may seem cliché and overdone, but hand-written notes are crucial in the process of learning. Hand-writing helps you to remember what you’re writing down, and it’s proven to last longer in your memory. Taking notes on a computer can also be troublesome as there are lots of distractions on your laptop. There’s no doubt that handwriting your notes may be a little more effort, but it makes your learning much easier in the long run.

Small steps can lead to big results. Best of luck this semester!