How to stay focused, productive during quarantine
May 21, 2020
During the coronavirus pandemic, most students have had to come up with their own ways of getting their schoolwork and homework done through remote learning. Some students haven’t been able to, though because of stress and a feeling of helplessness. This list can help those students find a system that works for them in order to get through the rough weeks of online work. And while the school year is coming to a close, it’s still hasn’t been determined if distance learning will be taking place when the new school year starts on Aug. 18.
– Turn off your Tech: Phones and tablets can be very distracting. Once you get a notification it’s so tempting to open your device and not put it down. Silencing your technology will stop it from distracting you.
– Know Your Needs: When in the middle of working, it’s not uncommon for one to get hungry, thirsty or need to use the bathroom. Things like these should be done before and after you work. As soon as you take a break to sit down and eat, it’s suddenly leisure time all over again. If you think ahead you’re less likely to lose focus.
– Know When to do What: Most people find it hard to work at a certain time of the day. It’s always best to work when you know you’ll be focused. If you’re a morning person, work in the mornings. If you’re a night person, work at night.
– Make a Schedule: Staying at home all day every day can really affect how you get your work done, especially when there is no teacher to guide you. Making a schedule will stop you from procrastinating and help you organize your time so you can do all of your work and turn it in on time. It’s also very helpful to be specific with how you’d like to spend your time. It’s good to make a certain time frame for when you want to work and when you want time to yourself.
– Have a Working Environment: It’s very easy to get distracted if you don’t have an environment that is exclusively for work. It’s very easy to get comfortable in your own home, so it’s great to have a space to do schoolwork. Some students have desks in their rooms, which is a great place to sit down and focus. Noise is a gateway to distraction and so are a lot of items, so make sure your workplace is quiet with little going on.
“I’m using my desk to work. It’s also where I do art and play games,” freshman Emerson Ortiz said. “I also have privacy and silence, which helps me concentrate.”
– Work With Others: Sometimes working with others may not be the best call but when you all have your priorities straight, it’s ideal. Working with others can help get your work done faster. Group Chats are especially helpful. If you need something, you can send a text to your peers in a group chat and someone may be able to help you.
“I definitely think being in a group chat is 100% helpful because sometimes they tell you that a certain assignment is due that you didn’t know about and they’re kind enough to help out,” freshman Jenica Felicitas said.
– Stay Updated: Make sure to always check your learning management system, Schoology. Staying updated on your coursework is ideal for maintaining your grade and staying on top of it during this quarantine.
– Make a List: Making a list of all the assignments with their due dates is a great way to turn in your work on time. Either making weekly lists of what needs to be done during the week or a daily list of what you should work on that day, any list is encouraged.
“Recently I made a list of everything I currently need to do and have slowly been going through it,” freshman Naamah Silcott said. “Making a list made me feel a lot better and more organized with the work and overall made it feel like there was less to do than there actually was.”
