The school year finally has begun after many long months of being in quarantine. This year will be very different for everyone. Some people, like myself, are doing all of our school work from the confines of our house. When you’re at home all day you can run into a lot of issues, whether that be internet issues or distractions throughout the house. However, there are many ways that you can stay focused at home for online school.

My first tip is to make sure you’re in a quiet environment that is not in a busy area. If you set up in a room that you know people will be hurrying in and out of, chances are you will probably get distracted, whether it be from someone showing you something or an animal zooming precariously throughout the house. 

My second tip is to make sure that notes are being taken or questions are being asked to keep your attention on the class stream. It’s very easy to zone out completely when watching, and by the time you focus again, something important has passed. I tend to do this a lot, and asking myself simple questions to keep in touch with the class helps me to stay focused. 

A third tip that can be very helpful is silencing any phones or tablets when in an online class. We all know whenever our phones vibrate or ring we automatically check it, but this also leads to getting sucked into TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms. 

A fourth tip is to step away if you’re feeling burnt out. This whole year has been very stressful with the ongoing world events, and the last thing you want to do is get overwhelmed. If you’ve been staring at that math problem or history question for hours and you still don’t understand it, take a step back. Listen to a few songs and let your mind rest, so when you’re able to get back to it your head will be clear and you can look at it from a different angle.

A fifth tip is to change out of what you slept in. Something as simple as changing your clothes can get your brain to realize that now is the time to work instead of the time to sleep and be sluggish. 

My sixth and final tip for everyone is to tidy up the space that is being worked in before you start your work. If the room that is designated for school work isn’t clean, you might easily get distracted by wanting to clean the room.  Clean rooms are also proven to reduce stress and increase productivity.  

So during this time of online schooling, try to implement some of these tips into the daily routine, and see how it goes. Stay safe Trinity, you’ve got this!