Well this was not an article I thought I was ever going to write…
Seriously this is not what I thought I was going to be doing with three weeks left of my senior year. I imagined the spring fair, planning out my graduation party, putting on my final programs with residents and having my last hurrahs with my best friends in Pittsburgh.
What am I doing instead? Well, I’m currently writing this on my couch in my parent’s house in SW Florida, with my siblings reading this over my shoulder and Rise of the Skywalker blaring on the TV scaring my dog.
This is not how I thought this was going to be.
This is not how any of us thought it was going to be.
But, here we are. How are we choosing to use this time?
If you are social distancing (which you should be), there may be this temptation to not do anything. You may just want to stare at your phone, scrolling endlessly. Not only will that give you a migraine later on, but it is not going to make your heart feel very good either. Now, this article is not going to tell you, ‘STAY HUSTLING’ or ‘SOME OF OUR GREATEST ADVANCEMENTS CAME IN QUARANTINE.’
This is not that article. These are just ways that you can stay on task as we finish up this school year. As we have been thrown into this new life, it can all be super exhausting and overwhelming. It can feel like it is all too much to handle, like maybe we shouldn’t keep trying. You can. You can keep going. Whether you’re working from home or you’re trying to finish up these last few weeks, I hope these tips can help you keep motivated, and keep pushing through the night.
1. Create a schedule and KEEP IT
I cannot stress this point enough. Do you want to get out of vacation mode? Get out of vacation mode! What worked for me is breaking out my planner and filling out the schedule with my Zoom meetings, my time dedicated to classwork, meals with my family, time for my journaling/prayer time and time for workouts. For me, it’s been helpful to try and to continue living at home as I’ve been living at school. It’s easier to do this in my house, as my two siblings are still in grade school and my parents have decided to do their online schooling in the same schedule that they’ve had all year. Having this schedule has allowed us to really stay in the zone, and makes it easier to stay on track.
2. Get your playlist going
You know the drill, people. You’re missing your old Fifth Ave Starbucks seat? You’re longing for your little corner on the ground floor of Hillman? Set the tone! There are a bunch of playlists on Spotify and YouTube that are catered to focusing and vibing. My favorite playlist on Spotify is LoFi HipHop – it is super relaxing with minimal lyrics, and the beat keeps me going at steady paces. If music distracts you a little too much, but you miss the feeling of studying with a friend? While I wouldn’t suggest calling up your people (too tempting to push off school work), there are ways for you to get that feeling in quarantine. Type in ‘Study with Me’ into YouTube, you’ll see a bunch of videos uploaded of people studying in super serene spots. Think a Mukbang but with academics.
3. Set yourself up for success
I’ve been watching a lot of law school bloggers as a way to prep for my next stage of life, and something one of them mentioned was that just taking 20 minutes to set up your space can really set the tone for your productivity. If you’re lucky enough to have a desk, make sure it is clean and comfortable enough for you to really focus. For me and my siblings, our work space has been our kitchen table. I make myself tea, fill up my water bottle and have all my pens and markers with me. I have all my books next to me and my headphones ready to go. For me, I also need to set my checklist up for all the assignments I want to get done for the day, separated by class. It’s an old trick I picked up from my mom, and it is easily my best tool. Bonus: is anything as satisfying as crossing something off a list?
4. Get dressed
This one will be hard, but trust me, you might want to start doing this. I know we are (or should be!) quarantined in our houses. The immediate impulse is to stay in your sweatpants and Pitt t-shirt all day. You’re inside all day, who do you have to impress, stay cozy! Don’t lie: you know you just want to go back to sleep when you’re wearing your PJs. And that makes sense! But, you cannot be productive like that. Challenge yourself this week. Wake up, go on your government-sanctioned walk, take a shower and dress how you normally would for class. It may seem ‘extra,’ but it will put you in the headspace of doing your school thing.
5. Be kind to yourself
Listen, you’re not going to be perfect. So don’t expect perfection from yourself. We are literally in a pandemic, and everything has been turned upside down. We are all learning how to do this new life. If you find yourself not being as productive, be kind to yourself. If you find that you’re becoming overwhelmed, walk away and take a breather. You are allowed.
This quote by Morgan Harper Nichols has recently really stuck with me. “And even when you don’t have answers, there is still boundless grace.” We don’t have any of the answers, and maybe we won’t for a really long time. Allow yourself to feel all the feelings you may have. Fear. Anger. Frustration. Sadness. Feel all these things in the way you need to, but pick yourself up again. Though the night is dark, there is always a sunrise. This pandemic will end. We will return to campus. We will see our friends again. We will live life outside again. You will make it. And you will be amazing. Good luck.