12/8/2020 2 Comments Managing The 2020 School Year: Tips and Tricks For Limiting Stress and Getting Work DoneThis school year has been like no other. Many of us are learning online and have spent hours upon hours on screens. I have adjusted quickly and comfortably to this new virtual environment, but I know for many people this is not the case. Having challenges is completely understandable as we are living through unprecedented times and carrying on with life in ways we have never before. Some of the struggles I have heard about this school year include lack of motivation, difficulty focusing, trouble understanding content, not learning enough material to be prepared for the future, and having too large of a workload in some classes. First, I am sorry so many people are feeling this way. Amidst a global pandemic, the last thing people need is more stress. Thankfully, there are many habits, practices, and mindsets that can be developed to overcome the stressful situations and thoughts many students are experiencing. Feeling unmotivated to do work? I have been there! Sometimes work can feel like the last thing you want to do. My advice for this situation is first reminding yourself that the work has to get done and it is up to you whether you turn in the assignment or not. For me, not turning something in is never an option. Remind yourself that complaining about what you have to do or brushing it aside is not going to help you in the long run. Try doing something fun before you start working as a way to refresh your system. Tell yourself that, after watching a TV show, going for a quick walk, or FaceTiming your friend for a few minutes, you will complete your assignment and get it turned in. Once you finish the assignment and other items on your to-do list, you can use your time to do more exciting things. Instead of feeling unmotivated to do work, try to change those feelings into motivation to get tasks off your to-do list and to be able to do something enjoyable in the near future. Having difficulty focusing? Get rid of anything that might distract you, such as turning off notifications on your desktop, putting your phone on “do not disturb” and placing it on the other side of the room, and telling your siblings not to interrupt you. Create an environment with the least amount of distractions, so you can be as productive as possible. Similar to my advice for feeling motivated, work distraction-free with high focus for a designated amount of time and then reward yourself for your efficient work later on. Having trouble understanding content? Learning virtually is very different from learning in-person. When online, sometimes topics are more difficult for teachers to teach and are more difficult for students to understand. It can be challenging all around, so we have to make the best of the situation and do our part to understand to the fullest of our abilities. If your school has teacher help periods like mine, utilizing these times to ask questions about things you are learning in class and questions about certain assignments is very beneficial. If you do not have periods like this, email your teachers. Do not be afraid to reach out because most teachers are very willing to help you. In the worst case scenario, if your teacher is unable to help, you can ask for online resources to support your understanding or find such resources on your own. Not learning enough material? This is a two-sided situation. Some students feel like they are not learning enough content to be prepared for AP exams or classes in future years, while other students feel like they are getting too much work. Others may feel a little of both, depending on their classes. I personally fall into the first category. With shorter class times, there is no doubt that content is being cut out even though we are sure to need the information at a later time. To deal with this problem, I have done a couple of things. I take advantage of easy-access resources. The College Board posts videos and practice questions that cover every topic in the AP class curriculum. While this material does not cover all the nitty gritty details, it goes over important themes that I need to be aware of. I also have taken it upon myself to read my textbook for AP World History, for example. The textbook goes into great detail on topics that may not necessarily be discussed in class, or, if they are discussed in class, it will likely only be skimming the surface. While reading the textbook when it is not assigned and doing other similar work is not my idea of “fun,” I am taking it upon myself to learn the content I know I will need at some point or another. Have too much work on your plate? Many students have felt like teachers are assigning too much work. While I certainly feel busy and I am working a lot of the time, I do not feel overwhelmed with my workload and believe I am doing a good job managing everything I have to do. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about the number of assignments teachers give. There is, however, something you can do about the manner in which you tackle the large amount of work at hand. Efficiency is key! This year my school starts an hour later than when it started last year when we were in-person. In addition, I have a lunch break that is longer than an hour! I take advantage of this extra time, wake up early, and use my extra breaks to get work done. I highly recommend you do the same. Waking up even thirty minutes earlier could be the difference between finishing one assignment or having an extra task to do at 10:00 at night. It can be easy to turn to your phone during the extended breaks, but I like to think that in “normal” school during these breaks I would actually be in class, so I should use that “class” time effectively by working on things I need to get done. My school days are certainty work-filled, but by being efficient I would say that I am able to enjoy about an hour of movement and an hour of screen time each day. I made a model schedule to show what a typical day in school for me looks like. By working hard during the week, I have a bit more time on the weekends to really enjoy myself and practice some self-care. People are feeling lots of different emotions and are having different experiences during the 2020 school year based on differences in learning styles, work practices, and personalities. Regardless, we are all in this together and we will get through it. Keep working hard and chugging along.
I hope you found some of my advice helpful and that this post was useful to you. If you want to continue this conversation or share any thoughts you have on school this year, I would love to hear from you in the comments and through email or DM. Additionally, what have you experienced this school year? Do you have any good tips that have been working for you? Let me know in the comments.
2 Comments
Zoe B
12/8/2020 05:17:45 pm
Another great post! I know something I’ve experienced personally is feeling overwhelmed by the idea of having to make my own schedule for doing work - it can be hard to know where to start when the assignments start piling up. One thing I’ve started doing that has helped me is using my planner or even just a sticky note to make a “must do” list for the day. This is a list of 3-5 things that I need to do before I go to bed, and it’s really helped me to use my time much more effectively.
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Real and Relatable (Madeleine)
12/9/2020 09:12:46 am
Thank you so much for your comment! That definitely makes sense. It sounds like you have a great method for handling that situation though. It is great advice to anyone who has felt the same way. I have started doing the same thing! I have not been using my calendar as much lately because everything is nicely laid out on Google Classroom, but when I notice I am starting to feel overwhelmed with work and other projects, I will write down what I need to do that day and it totally helps!
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AuthorLover of adventures, traveling, family time, fashion, soccer, writing, and more, Madeleine is giving you all the real and relatable content you have been looking for. Archives
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