School Tips

Yes, we have officially come to this subject. School. Ah, what a controversial topic.

As you guys may know, COVID-19 has caused a lot of schools to close. In fact, probably almost all of them. And some schools have gone online.

So we've started doing school online. We use G Suite, which has a bunch of cool tools you can use like Google Classroom, Google Hangouts, Google Docs, etc. So far it's gone pretty well.

Today I wanted to give you guys some tips for school. These are mostly for online classes/homeschool, but some of them could probably be used for real school. I am actually using these and adding more as I find what has helped me. I hope you find them helpful!

- Turn your phone on SILENT
Don't put it on vibrate or turn down the volume. Put it on silent!! Even when your phone vibrates or rings quietly, it can still be a distraction and you'll find yourself checking it. Believe me, I do. If you know you won't check it even if you put it on vibrate or quiet, put it on silent anyway. Want to go a step further? Put it in a different room! Sometimes even if my phone's on silent, if I have it by me I find myself checking it anyway. Put it away! Check it on breaks, before, or after you do your work. Same thing with Google Hangouts or Teams or other messaging websites. Just exit them! You can come to them when you're done. If you're afraid of missing an important call or message, put it in a room with a sibling, parent, or friend. They can tell you if you get that important message/call. Out of sight, out of mind!

- Take breaks when you NEED them, not when you want them
Depending on how much work you have, you may take more or less breaks. But don't take them whenever you feel like it, take breaks when you need them. For example, every 30 minutes to an hour take a break. And if you're a workaholic, set a time (like I said) to take your breaks. That way you won't feel like you don't "need" a break and then not take any breaks. It's important to eat and get time away from the screen. Breaks are nice, but they're also important if you're doing a lot of work. Don't overwork yourself!

- Studying....
Some people stay up late and study, some people get up early and study. It depends on the person. If you're a night owl, and have no problem staying up a few hours past what you normally do, then stay up late studying and sleep in the next morning. If you are a morning person, go to sleep early (probably 1-2 hours earlier than you usually do. I'd do 7:30 pm at the earliest and 9 at the latest, but it depends on you) and wake up early, maybe 1-2 hours earlier than usual. If you stay up late and you can barely study because you're tired,  you won't remember things well. If you wake up early and can barely concentrate because you're tired, again, you won't study well. Do what works best for you!


- DON'T PROCRASTINATE!
Ok, I am like the MASTER of procrastinating sometimes. It's tempting to put something off because you have something "better" to do, or you're tired, or you've already done a lot of work. Do the most important work first, that way you can't put it off until the end and have no time. I mentioned distractions. It can be easy to procrastinate by checking your messages, social media, and other things. Use the tips I mentioned before to avoid procrastinating. Another thing that helps is having a schedule! This way you know what you need to do, and it helps to be able to plan it all out. Make sure you know your priorities and give them the amount of time they need.

- Find your learning/study space!
Find out what environment you work best in! For me, I work the best in a cooler/comfortable environment and when I'm listening to music. So when I'm doing my work, I'll turn on the AC (air conditioner) and I'll play music. If music with words is distracting, listen to instrumental music. If you work best with quiet, try and find a quiet environment. I know not everyone has an air conditioner or quiet environment, but try and work with what you have. It will improve how you learn. I can't learn well if I'm in the sweltering heat, I just can't. I lose focus and feel bored, and it's just not fun. Also, if you find yourself more attentive in the morning, work then. If you concentrate better at night, maybe after dinner, work then! So find how/where/when you work best and try and work that way. It will make school less...well...dreadful.

- Have a good attitude..
Ok, this is definitely not easy. I know, school gets you down and makes you tired. It's not always, if at all, fun. But if you're doing your school work with a bad attitude you won't focus and you won't want to do anything. Having a bad attitude affects the quality of your work and can lead to procrastination and not wanting to do work. The best way to have a good attitude is to pray about it. Just pray for a good attitude. Also, do the things you like the least first, that way you'll look forward to the easier things afterwards. Listening to my favorite music definitely keeps me motivated and creating a schedule will help you to feel more organized and able to get things done. Taking breaks after hard work is rewarding, I'd say 15-30 minutes is a good amount of time for a break. 10 minutes at the least. When you find yourself losing focus or starting to not try, then take a break!

I hope you guys found these tips helpful, and I look forward to posting again soon! If you ever feel discouraged or overwhelmed by school, pray!

Love, Gracie :)