For many of us, quarantine life is completely different from the day to day we were used to.
The dramatic change forced many of us to abandon the routines that we had been used to for months. That has left many in a lurch without the coping mechanisms may had established.
What schedules provide is structure. A structure that can be depended on and offer comfort. Especially now, we need any form of comfort we can get.
School and learning have been turned upside down for everyone. We all have had to adjust. While learning looks different now, we can still stick to a general guideline to keep us dedicated and diligent.
For many students, motivation has proved to be an issue. Leaving all assignments to the day they’re due is all too easy. Creating a schedule can help us motivate and not procrastinate.
Personally, I have laid out a general timeframe for when I do my coursework every day. This unprecedented time can teach us a lot about time management. Lessons that we ordinarily might not learn until college.
We need to all create some type of schedule because the time will come when we step back into a structured classroom setting. We also need to find the time management strategies that work for us. Now is the perfect time.
What time are you most attentive? Do you need silence to work? Can you split up an assignment over multiple days?
These are important questions to ask yourself, especially if college is on the horizon for you at some point. As a senior, these are all things I was preparing to figure out for college in the Fall.
Overall, the most important thing with scheduled or free-structure learning is to find what works for you. This is a blessing and a curse. We, for the first time, can really take control of our learning. Do not waste this time.
Find a strategy to enhance your attention, work ethic and time management to better yourself for when we re-enter traditional learning.
If you need a schedule for the routine and comfort, then put one in place.
If you can use this time to explore more freely, then do it. But remember not to fall behind and get lax with your standards.
I see this as one of the silver innings of the virus. We now have the opportunity to really ask ourselves how we best learn.