While I was not surprised that Boston College sent all the undergraduates home for the remainder of the semester, it has been a crazy transition. Home has always been a place for breaks, where I sleep in late, see friends, and don’t do anything productive. However, since moving back home and getting started with online learning, I’ve had to figure out how to shift that mentality. I’ve been working hard to stay motivated and productive, and here are five things that have helped me to do so!
Keeping a basic schedule
Waking up and going to bed at the same time has been huge for my productivity since transitioning to online learning. If I didn’t stick to this routine, it would be easy for me to sleep in till noon, rush through all of my work and get behind, and have no leftover time. However, I’ve tried to wake up around 9am and start work by 11am so I have the opportunity for a slow morning, which I love, and by the time evening comes around, I’ve achieved enough so I can spend time with my family.
Making a to do list everyday
Each night before I go to bed, I sit down and plan out what I aim to get accomplished the next day, and approximate timing of each of those things. It helps me stay on top of all the work that I have going on and keep myself balanced. Additionally, crossing things off of a list always motivates me because I can’t wait for the list to be fully crossed out!
Having a quiet, work-only space
I’m grateful that since being home, my mom has let me take over her office as my own work zone. It’s a quiet space that the rest of my family isn’t around to distract me, and when I enter this space, I know that it’s time to focus, whether that’s on my classes and work, or a facetime call with my friends. Thanks mom 🙂
Planning for the future
Since the school year ended so abruptly and there was so much time left, people at Boston College had not started planning for the next year. However, since everything on campus is done, both academic and extracurricular things have started figuring out what the 2020-2021 year is going to look like. For me, this means I am applying to executive boards and planning what classes I’m taking next year. Having this long-term plan of what life might look like when I return to campus has helped me keep my eye on the prize and motivate me to continue doing my work as I finish out this semester.
Making a list of “If I had more time…” goals
There are so many projects that I’ve always wanted to do, but I can never seem to find the time. However, right now, there is time. I’m trying to look at quarantine and being home from school as an opportunity to do many of the things that I haven’t had time for in the past, like blogging!