Online classes are something that is new to almost everyone during this time. We’re all so used to walking across campus to get to our classes, meeting up with friends for lunch, cramming for exams in the library, and spending all of our money on coffee. Here are some ways that I am adjusting to this “new normal,” and I hope it’ll help you too!
- Buying premade coffee
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Personally, I am a fan of iced coffee. I’ve been getting premade cold brew from the store to enjoy while I’m attending my Zoom lectures. This keeps me alert, especially since I might’ve just woken up a half an hour before the class began.
- A second monitor
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Having a second screen while I’m working on assignments has really helped me out. I’m able to keep a few tabs open at once on a bigger screen while using my laptop to directly type up a paper. It also comes in handy for Zoom; I can easily bring up readings for the class or check out what we’re being assigned next as the professor tells us about it.
- Chrome Extensions
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A few extensions that I found helps me a lot are Grammarly, Weava, and Coffeelings. Grammarly will check spelling mistakes and grammar errors, which is super helpful with paper writing! Weava allows you to highlight text and store your research in their extension so you don’t lose any important information. Coffeelings will help you track your daily moods, and you can utilize it as a journal as well!
- Stretch break
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I set myself a reminder for a stretch break every hour if I know I’ll be in class or working on a lot of assignments for the day. This helps keep me alert and moving after sitting for a while. These desk chairs in the dorms are not comfortable, so giving myself a break from them is nice.
- Low-fi Music
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This type of music is instrumental and provides great background noises if you are someone who cannot focus in a quiet setting. I used to listen to lyrical music, but found I got too distracted by jamming out and singing along. Spotify has tons of low-fi playlists!