by Meghna Srikanth, 2L Class President
Hello everyone! I know that many of us, including myself, are struggling with staying focused and motivated during the quarantine. Even though the school has provided us with some flexibility with the optional pass/fail system, many of us have our own personal goals and expectations of what we want to accomplish this semester despite the chaos in our lives right now. How can we accomplish these goals and expectations when we might be struggling staying focused and motivated in such atypical times?
I am no expert in this topic, and I, myself, have been struggling with this during the quarantine. However, after talking to some of our peers, here are some tips that we thought were helpful:
1. Accept the fact that things are different now, and you cannot expect yourself to study in the same manner that you are typically used to.
2. Break up your study time into much smaller increments, and do not force yourself to work past the set allotted time. It is okay to take breaks. However, if you are feeling motivated and able, feel free to continue studying.
3. Motivate yourself with rewards for accomplishing the tasks that you set out to do. These rewards can be small (e.g. baking your favorite dessert or watching the next episode of your favorite new TV show) or big (e.g. rewarding yourself with a hike or trip once we have this pandemic behind us).
4. Try to create two different spaces in your home: a space where you are in your classes and a space where you study. It will prevent you from sitting in the same place for long periods of time in the day.
5. Try to create a balanced schedule for your day that outlines the tasks you want to accomplish and provides you with breaks to relax and have some fun.
6. Quarantine can feel lonely, so take some time to check in with your friends. You can even schedule a Zoom study date with your friends.
Remember that no matter what happens, you are doing your best. These are unusual times, and it’s okay if you are struggling. Just take things one step at a time, and feel free to reach out and ask for help if you need it.
Need some more help staying motivated through online learning? Check out this article with more suggestions, courtesy of Prof. Louis Jim: https://theconversation.com/6-ways-to-build-motivation-to-do-your-schoolwork-now-that-youre-forced-to-learn-online-at-home-135493.