According to my friends, the fact that I was homeschooled from kindergarten to 12th grade is my only personality trait. I reference it every time I am astounded by the decisions my classmates make or when I am surprised by the utter size of Florida State University. As many of us are distance learning due to the effects of the corona virus, I want to share some major tips that I have learned throughout my 13 years of online school.
1. Sleeping
Picture this: you are lying in your comfortable bed fully prepared to go to sleep when the sudden urge to check TikTok completely overwhelms you. You tell yourself that you’ll only be on for five minutes, but when you next check the time, it is 5 a.m. Although I have experienced this scenario a few more times than I would like to admit, I have really been working on altering my sleep schedule since coming home. The human brain cannot properly process information (like complex statistics equations) without receiving enough rest, so you are really doing yourself a major disservice by denying it that. Try and go to sleep before midnight and put your phone out of reach before going to bed. If you need some help getting your mind to quiet down, I recommend the meditation app, Headspace, which always puts me at ease.
2. Staying Organized
Before you go to bed every night, make sure to pick out your outfit for the next day. Although it can be easier to just lounge around the house in your favorite sweatshirt + sweatpants combo, try not to make that an everyday habit. Maintaining a portion of your college routine while at home can make you feel more centered and stable.
Pay attention in your Zoom classes! Take notes and try and participate in the class discussions. Since sitting in one space for a long period of time can be really difficult, one of my suggestions is to turn your microphone and video off so that you can get up and stretch. Also, maybe try placing your laptop on a high ledge so that you can move around instead of being stagnant.
Make your planner your best friend! I prefer handwriting my tasks out on paper because physically checking off my accomplishments absolutely thrills me. However, Google Calendar is one of my favorite tools and always helps to keep me organized on my busiest days. With these tools, you’ll be sure to stay on top of all your homework assignments!
3. Eating Three Meals
Now that we’re all at home, we finally have the opportunity to eat home-cooked meals again. (Sorry Suwannee, but you’re one of the few things I don’t miss from campus). So why not take the opportunity to eat three proper meals a day?
Breakfast did not always make it into my schedule at FSU because I was often too busy rushing to my first class. Since I am now attending Zoom University, I don’t have that problem anymore. I typically start off with a breakfast of strawberry yogurt, crushed granola and fresh apples with strawberries. For lunch, I have been having a lot of turkey sandwiches and salads. Dinner consists of whatever delicious food my mother decides to make.
Make sure that you are taking care of both your mind and your body during this stressful time. If you need a snack, get up and get one rather than making yourself suffer.
4. Picking Up New Hobbies
Yes, school is incredibly important. However, it should not be the only thing that you are focusing on during this time.
You finally have the free time to pick up all of those hobbies that you said you would start months ago. There’s really no excuse that you can use at this point. Why not try something new? Start reading a new novel. Learn to sew. Build a fort with your younger siblings. Solve a Rubik’s Cube for the first time. Binge-watch your favorite shows. Perfect your Spotify playlists. Go viral on TikTok. Take the time to journal every day to document these memories forever. Start a YouTube channel.
The possibilities are endless and the time is now.
My final, and perhaps most important, tip is to surround yourself with positivity. Although the world has become topsy-turvy within these past few months, it is important not to lose hope. Jim Halpert, known to uncultured human beings as John Krasinski, recently started a new show called Some Good News where he highlights the beautiful natures of human beings all over the world. Whenever you are feeling particularly lost and overwhelmed, consider watching his show to brighten your day!
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest!