I’ve had a lot of tough battles with procrastination. Over the years, I’ve had nights with dangerously low amounts of sleep, a whole lot of caffeine and I’m sure there were some tears in there too. Procrastination is the story of my academic life, but I always manage to get the job done, even when I REALLY cut it close to a deadline. Ever since classes have moved to virtual learning, the bar for my work ethic has lowered more than I thought it ever could. Now, I’m sleeping in later and going to bed earlier. I’m taking more breaks than I ever had time for at school, and I just really don’t want to do anything. I don’t think I’m alone in this boat, though.
The vast majority of my classes have moved to Zoom and take place at the same time as they did when we were all at school. Every day of the week, I log onto my computer at my desk at home, which my parents definitely did not expect to be my headquarters for attending college ~remotely~ when they bought it, and I see all of my classmates put on their virtual backgrounds. The main guy from Tiger King was a background I saw the other day to entertain me as if I wasn’t already distracted enough. Here at home, I’m watching the online video lectures right up until the deadline, and yes, I am avoiding a lot of long term projects that I should have already started. C’est la vie.
I think it’s so hard for me to focus because there aren’t any other students around to encourage my own studying. While my brother’s still in high school, all he has to do each day is log onto Google Classroom for a couple of hours, and then he’s home free. When we were still on campus, we were able to study with our friends. We could look to each other for help, and seeing others go to Hes or work in LaFun prompted us to do the same. We don’t have that luxury anymore, and it shows (at least for me).
Although, not all hope has been lost yet. While these first few weeks of online college may have made my professionalism a bit (*cough, cough*) mediocre, I’ve found there are a few things that can turn me into a productive little working bee again. First off, warm weather helps immensely. The past few days, my hometown has been warm and sunny, and I’ve found that I actually work more when I can open my windows and feel the fresh, warm air. Second, coffee is a must-have. A nice warm cup of coffee reminds me to get to work by giving me something to sip while I’m studying. Finally, finding a designated work area has helped me trick myself into thinking that my desk is a work zone, and I shouldn’t be doing anything else there. My tip for all of you: try to find some semblance of structure at home!
All I can say is that the struggle is real, but we can get through this together. Call your friends! Make yourself a warm cup of coffee or hot chocolate! Watch a movie with your family! Finding the motivation to work during this quarantine is tough, but we can all try to get through it by actively attempting to find the balance we need to succeed. I hope you are all safe and healthy, but stop reading this and go do your homework!
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