As public school students at Tuscarora High School we have become accustomed to a strict structure while at school. We have five minutes to transition between classes and little room for relaxation. After school, we are overloaded with homework and extracurricular activities. So, what happens when all of those things go away? What happens when the deadlines we rely on in order to get things done, are gone? How do we stay focused in order to get our work done from home? I have four tips that you can use in order to get your school work finished while at home.

Tip 1- Make a Schedule

It is incredibly important to create a schedule for yourself. A schedule can keep you on task and motivated to finish your work. Your schedule should include at least 30 minutes of work for each class a day.

• On a daily basis, plan out the order in which you will do your work in.
• Keep a checklist of the things you need to accomplish, not only for the day, but for the week as well
• If you get stuck on a certain subject or activity, move on and come back to it. 

 On weekends, it is important to give yourself a break, but make sure you are using your brain for at least 30 minutes a day. Since we aren’t doing any extracurriculars, it’s healthy to activate our brains everyday.

Tip 2-Wake up 

It’s easy to slip into a habit of staying up too late and sleeping through half of the day. With nowhere to go and nothing to do, it’s difficult to find the motivation to get up and start the day. However, a bad habit of sleeping in too late can result in having a lack of energy to get through school work. It may make it even more difficult to focus on your assignments. Not to mention, when laziness becomes a normal, it may lead to a number of mental health issues. Take care of yourself.

• Set an alarm- Monday through Friday- for sometime earlier than 9 am. 
• Go to bed at a reasonable time- make sure you are getting at least 8 hours of sleep
• Sleep in on the weekends 

It’s important for your sleep schedule to have some sort of normalcy. You don’t have to wake up at 6 am everyday or go to bed at 8 pm, however, make sure you aren’t creating unhealthy sleeping habits for yourself. 

Tip 3- Exercise

Health professionals recommend 30 minutes of exercise a day. Without sports and activities to get your mind off the stress of school work, it’s difficult to get through the day. Getting in a 30 minute workout everyday can help you release stress and refocus. When you do the workout is up to you. A workout in the morning can help you get your day started. A workout between schoolwork gives you an opportunity for a break. A workout at the end of the day, gives you an incentive to finish your work and you can end your day in a healthy way. 

You have lots of options for what workouts to do. 

• You can youtube a yoga video
• Do a tabata circuit 
• A no equipment core workout
• A no equipment arm workout
• Go for a walk/run 
• Etc. 

Get active everyday. Put your mental and physical health first and listen to your body. 

Tip 4- Take Breaks

Planned breaks can prevent a feeling of being overwhelmed with a week’s worth of work. 15-20 minute breaks in between subjects are a very beneficial part of doing school online. Trying to sit at the computer and do all of the assignments at once is too much. 

There are multiple things you can do to take a break.

• Have a snack
• Draw something
• Take pictures
• Take a nap
• Paint a picture
• Read a book
• Watch a movie
• Etc. 

Taking a break can prevent you from spiraling down and giving up on your assignments. Take this time as an opportunity to get creative or relax a little bit.