The abrupt transition from in-person school to fully virtual was hard.

There’s no other word to describe it. Receiving the announcement mid-day that we were transitioning to online learning—for only two days at that point—was a surprise. What was even more surprising was the message exclaiming that we would remain this way for the following week ahead.  

As of last Thursday, FHC High School has been entirely remote and plans to resume face-to-face learning Monday, November 2nd. However, that plan can be completely altered in just a matter of time; it’s truly unpredictable. 

What’s also described as hard is staying focused while in the comfort of your own house.

Waking up slightly later than you normally would for school is an advantage, of course—the more sleep, the more energy. But for some, it’s even harder to arise in the morning knowing that you don’t have to physically leave the house in order to attend school. 

So here’s some ways to stay productive and focused during this odd transition of learning:

1. Set an alarm 

Don’t just get up five minutes before your first class. Set a reasonable time that allows you to wake up, stretch, make your bed, and get ready to conquer your day. Brush your teeth, wash your face—whatever helps you wake up quick and efficiently.

2. Treat yourself

After you finish an assignment or Zoom call that requires lots of focus and hard work, reward yourself with a cup of coffee, tea, or a yummy breakfast. That way, it’ll make you be even more productive when you are enjoying yourself. And from there, you can keep up the hard work so you can reward yourself some more later in the day. 

3. Get ready

Make yourself feel good. Wash your face or do your hair. Do some makeup for the fun of it. You want to make yourself look presentable because when you look good, you feel good, and that greatly affects your work ethic throughout the school day. 

4. Have a workspace

A neat work environment is essential for a solid work day; it makes you feel extremely put together and positive. Don’t lay in your bed on a Zoom, rather sit upright, pencil in hand, in order to have a clear mindset. Keeping your workspace neat and organized helps as well because it is simple and quick to grab whatever material needed for that specific class.

5. Positive mindset

Wake up with an uprising mood towards your day. The happier you are, the more you’ll complete and vise versa. If you look at everything negatively, you’ll begin slacking off and leaving work unfinished. Because if you wake up and tell yourself today’s going to be a good day, it will.

It’s hard. Working from home requires so much independent motivation, but I believe it’s a good learning experience for all of us. 

Incorporate these five tips into your daily routine; you’ll end your day feeling more productive, awake and dynamic.