The year 2020 has not been off to a great start. In March, the coronavirus pandemic forced millions to shift their whole lives around to prevent further spread of the virus, including us, college students. I remember the day Chancellor Yang sent out the email regarding the plan for spring break. It was a rainy day and I was on my way home from work. All of a sudden, my phone blew up with notifications from my friends informing me that we wouldn’t be having a spring quarter. I had tons of questions, but my main question was, how is this going to work? Contrary to popular opinion, I am enjoying online classes with Zoom University! Now that I am home with my family, I have time to reflect on my life. I decided to use this time of social distancing to take the break I never would’ve if I was still on my regular schedule. Oftentimes, we get so caught up in our own schedules that we forget to take the time to practice self-care! To me, Zoom University entails creating a plan and sticking to it. Here are a few tips and tricks I have accumulated.
- Invest in a planner
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When rushing home after Chancellor Yang’s email, many of my belongings including my planner were left in IV. Once online classes began, I had absolutely no structure nor motivation. Once I invested in a planner, my academic motivation increased immensely. Planners are a huge, essential part in planning out your week and feeling accomplished when doing so. It is a great way to have effective and productive days!
- Create to-do lists
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The transition from in-person lectures to online courses have forced many (if not most) professors to assign much more coursework than usual. According to psychologists, ordered tasks is a brain candy. That is, we as humans feel a sense of accomplishment once we check a certain task off, leaving us either wanting to do more or feeling a tremendous sense of accomplishment.
- Take time to get your body moving
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According to the CDC, taking strolls and walks is definitely okay if taking preventative social distancing measures. Stress can be caused by many things, and being locked away at home with screaming siblings might add to that stress! Whether it’s a ten minute walk around the neighborhood or a light 30 minute jog, getting my body moving has definitely helped keep me sane during this quarantine and feeling refreshed and ready to do my schoolwork in the evening.
Practice social distancing! Wishing you all safety and health. Hugs from Quarantine!
