A Guide to Virtual Learning By: Goldie Ancis

     A Guide to Virtual Learning

    About six months ago, our lives changed drastically and this was a change no one saw coming. In March, schools all over the country began to shut down due to COVID-19. This left many students wondering what was next regarding school. One of the biggest ways this pandemic has affected many of us was the transition from going to school daily to suddenly being locked away in our houses staring at a computer screen for hours upon hours doing virtual school. For most of us, this was a rough change and something we needed to get used to. Therefore, after several months of being online, I have finally started to get the hang of virtual learning and have gathered some tips about what you can do to make your online learning the best experience as possible despite this difficult time.  

Create a Routine That Works For You

    When we were in school, we all had a routine to a certain extent. We would usually wake up at a certain time, have an order in which we get ready, maybe have sports/other activities after school, etc. Now that we do school online, most of us wake up ten minutes before our class starts and roll out of bed. I have realized that even though we aren't physically going to school, having a set routine can be beneficial and help keep you organized throughout the course of your day. Even something as simple as making a mental routine of what activities your day will consist of can be helpful!

Find a Working Space

    An environment where you can get your schoolwork done peacefully with no distractions is key. Whether this is an office in your house, a spare room you have, or even your kitchen counter. I don't recommend this space being your bed due to the fact that when it's time for you to rest, you will correlate your bed with your workspace which isn't a good mix. You want to have a space to yourself dedicated to working. This should also be a place where you have the ability to keep away from other distractions such as other family members or even pets. 

Schoolwork

    It is super hard for a lot of us to pay attention because of all the distractions that are possible like our phones or the tv. To add on top of this, our classes are over an hour long which makes it really hard for a lot of us to stay focused for that long. Even though can be difficult to stay on topic for the full length of the class, it is important to at least make an effort to pay attention and stay on task. When we are online it can be hard to keep up with the assignments that are due, and when they are due so I recommend getting an agenda and keeping track of your assignments and their due dates. 

Take Advantage of the Lunch Break

    One nice part of being online right now is the lunch break. We get over an hour between our 2nd and 3rd period classes. Of course, you can use this time to eat but that still leaves you with a lot of time. A few times I have used this time to catch up on my homework or other assignments but usually, I use this time to relax. Sometimes I watch Netflix, go out to grab some food or coffee, or even take a nap. It really is great having such a long amount of time to do pretty much whatever we want at home in the middle of the school day so use it wisely!

Find Time to Spend with Friends and Family

    Just because we are at home doing school doesn't mean we can't hang out with friends and family. We should still find time maybe after school or on the weekends to be with our loved ones. Since we aren't seeing our friends in person at school anymore, we still need our time of face to face interaction. It is difficult to get together with friends while COVID-19 is still around but as long as you are very safe and you know that you are both 100% healthy it is ok. 

Final Words

    I know for a fact we can all say this change in our lives has not been an easy one. We are all still learning how to make the best of our circumstances. I'm sure we would all rather be physically in school every day with our friends and teachers but it's still important to find the positives of being online. It has been a challenge at some times but that is all apart of the change and we just need to further adjust to this crazy reality we are all living.