Attention Management

okay, so here in california precautionary measures against COVID-19 have become increasingly intense. most schools have closed and are preparing to make the transition to “distance learning” aka online classes. this is a big change for many of us – but don’t panic!

welcome to surviving online classes 101!

–

✐ self discipline

this is more of a warning than a tip. working from home means you will have to exercise a lot more self discipline. it can be a little bit boring or lonely at times. you cannot count on motivation from others (professors, classmates, friends, etc.), so you will have to learn some self discipline. 

✐ create your own classroom

a good way to make the transition is to try and mimic the classroom setting as closely as possible. something that might be helpful is to set up a space designated for work. try to avoid the temptation to work in your bed or on the couch. that trains your brain to be alert in those places and makes it harder to relax/fall asleep. at least during online lectures, try and eliminate distractions that wouldn’t be present in a regular classroom (like tv or netflix playing in the background, or having your phone out)

✐ dress for success!

dress in the way that makes you feel most productive. if you’re one of those people who usually rolls into class wearing sweats and still kills it, good for you! if you’re one of those people who needs to put on a full face of makeup to feel alive and ready for the day, do that! even at home!! i personally never wear makeup but if i try to be productive in pjs… disaster. i’ve also found that cute workout gear makes me feel badass while still being comfy.

✐ create a schedule

now more than ever you need to figure out how to manage your time. you can use a planner, bujo, google calendar, the forest app, whatever. just make sure you keep track of things like

due dates and TIMES

exam dates

lecture times

hours spent studying

meals (pls eat 3 if possible)

water intake

sleep schedule

✐ pack your bag like you usually would

i know this probably sounds so dumb, but when you’re done working clean up after yourself. pack everything up like you would at school, to sort of signal to your brain that academic time is over for now. and then unpack and set up when you’re ready to get to work again. this is just another way to trick your brain into that school mindset while you’re stuck at home.

✐ don’t overwork yourself

break up your studying into chunks. being cooped up all day can make us feel like we’re wasting time, but be sure to schedule breaks and reward yourself after a solid study session. i’m a big fan of the pomodoro method, and it can be customized really easily to allow for more or less study/rest time. 

✐ maintain a healthy sleep schedule

now is the time to develop that healthy sleep schedule we all dream about. staring at a computer all day is exhausting and hard on the eyes and brain, so make sure to give them enough rest and time to recover each night. also, consider investing in glasses that block blue light, even if you don’t usually use glasses. this will keep our eyes young lol. 

✐ communicate with your teachers and classmates

most of us are making this transition to online learning together. any time you have questions, email your professor. reach out to your classmates at the beginning and exchange emails/phone numbers/social media so you can build a support system. if something goes wrong, screenshot it immediately and reach out to your professor. technology isn’t perfect, and mistakes can happen, just communicate them.

✐ turn things in early

this is my biggest tip. when you are relying on online submissions for assignments and digital lectures, you always want to allow extra time to fix any errors you might encounter. your professor will also be much more willing to help you fix a problem two days before a deadline rather than two minutes before a deadline. eliminate that uncertainty by playing it safe with online submissions. 

–

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!! YOU GOT THIS!! WE GOT THIS!!

this week on instagram, part x.

like

181228 KBS Gayo Daejun © SUPER KILL

For so long, all I wanted was for you to love me, to accept me. I thought it was my honor that I wanted. But really, I was just trying to please you.

Avatar: The Last Airbender — “The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse”

𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚 ; trying to get little things done after work + hopelessly enjoying this painting by Belinfante, feeling excited for the day to return back to my favourite bookstore in the city.

𝐢𝐠 + 𝐯𝐥𝗼𝐠𝐬

| 1 0 : 5 6 |

"Yo, I never met anyone like her, bro!" Jaemin sings while sitting on top of the teacher's desk with his arms around your teacher's shoulders. Your drama teacher was looking at him with a proud smile on his face. He was re-enacting "What the Heck I Gotta Do" from 21 Chump Street. "Yo! She listens to all my problems, I let her copy all my homework, and then I lay it all on the line." He stands and looks at the sea of students. "And she was like:"

"No."

"No."

"NO!" Oh, and Jeno, Haechan, and Renjun were his backup dancers and singers. He managed to blackmail them with very, very humiliating photos; and maybe some extra credit from their teacher.

"She didn't say no exactly, I don't know." He started pouting while crossing his arms.

"Know."

"Know."

"Know."

"YEAH, I WAS SURPRISED, I'M A PRETTY GREAT GUY!" You couldn't have been prouder of your best friend at that moment. He told you that he liked someone in your drama class and about his plans to ask them to prom by singing this.

"So,"

"So,"

"So I decided I needed to step my game up."

"Oh."

"Oh."

"Oh."

"Oh."

"It's too late to be shy." He looked directly into your eyes. "And so I got in front of the whole class and serenaded her, I-I was like: What the heck I gotta do to be with you?" God, he was dancing like an actual idiot.

"What the heck I gotta do?"

Wait, was he getting closer to you?

"What the heck I gotta do to be with you?" He flashed a smile in your direction. You looked at him in confusion while your face was heating up.

"What the heck I gotta do?" Jeno handed him a bouquet.

"Who do I have to be," he stopped in front of you, the bouquet in his hands. "For you to go to prom with me?"

"You asked her to the prom?" Your drama teacher says. Oh, yeah, he was in this, too.

"Yeah, I danced and everything!"

He didn't get to finish the rest of the song as you got up your chair and hugged him immediately. "Yes," you whispered in his ear. You swore you felt him fist pump behind your back.

do you guys ever just think about jeno and how he’s just this dude with a gentle speaking voice, a bunch of cats, and a weird sense of humor, and he is so open and loving to everyone like he seems like the most instantly comfortable and nonjudgemental person to be around, and he laughs and smiles at everything but it’s always genuine and he’s so pure like he smiles with his teeth in selfies, randomly takes pictures of his friends and tells them he loves them, his definition of a joke/burn is calling his friend a side dish, and he’s just so happy and positive and radiant at all times. He likes filming asmr videos and leaning on his friends shoulders and wearing soft clothes. Also when he’s talking about something passionately and his eyes widen and sparkle. Of course his smile is bright and welcoming but so is his personality and presense and everything else about him I love him so much

my heart….