With fall semester approaching, students will be returning to their schoolwork lifestyle. Whether you’re quarantined at home or on a college campus, it’s important to maintain a cohesive work environment. Getting back into the swing of classes can be difficult, especially after feeling like we’ve been on a continuous spring break for months. Remember to practice healthy habits and channel your schoolwork tips from last semester. Below is your guide for a successful semester!
- Safe Space
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Since many college courses are online this semester, keeping up on your room can be beneficial to learning. Fold those clothes in the corner, throw away empty water bottles, and tidy up your safe space. Maintaining a clean room can stimulate concentration and productivity. Creating an aesthetically pleasing room that you want to spend time in can also be useful for doing schoolwork. Ideas could include hanging lights, placing picture frames, or decorating for the season. Whatever your style entails, show it in your room!
- Time Limits on Apps
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That moment when you’re supposed to be doing schoolwork but get sidetracked by social media apps… We’ve all had those moments. Limiting time on apps can be useful for these types of distractions. The IPhone allows you to manage your screen time in several different categories. Go to Settings and click on the Screen Time application. This is where you can see all activity of screen time across different platforms. The Downtime button allows you to choose what apps you allow during this period. The App Limits button allows you to start daily time limits on categories you want to manage. This can also be applied to communication limits. Remember that Instagram will be here forever, but your midnight deadline wont!
- Re-adjusting Your Sleep Schedule
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It’s no secret that most of us have been staying up till 3 A.M binging netflix this past quarantine summer. Before your fall semester begins, it is important to start practicing better sleeping habits. Although most of us will be doing school online, getting a good night’s rest is important for productivity the next day. I’ve found that waking up early, even with no classes, keeps me more focused throughout the day. Having good sleeping habits can also absorb and retain information from learning easier.
- Planners & Calendars
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Organization is a key component for keeping up on schoolwork deadlines and dates. Planners and calendars are here to keep you sane from the load of work of multiple classes. These tools help keep students up on their day-to-day responsibilities. Planners and calendars are also beneficial for tracking achievements and creating lists. Goal setting is important for your success and future steps. Planners and calendars can even be rewarding outside schoolwork. By writing down certain deadlines for school, you get to see open spots for extra activities.
- Accepting Change
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With the world being stuck on hold due to the pandemic, us as students have to be open-minded. Open-minded to new communication methods such as Zoom, open-minded to a new time management schedule, and open-minded to how professors handle the transition to online classes. If we accept this new reality, we will have an easier time understanding our role in this upcoming fall semester. Be open to new ways of learning and experiences through your schoolwork!