Hey Erin…

Online school is really difficult. I don’t understand how to stay on task when there are so many distractions at home. Can you help at all?

Sincerely,

Dazed and Confused Student

Hey Dazed and Confused,

I understand how you’re feeling. Having to do a load of work while also having your parents nagging, your phone going off, and constant distractions around you makes it really difficult to focus. So, how do you stay focused?

Well first off, on phones, there’s an option to turn off notifications. Either silence your phone, put it on “Focus mode” (for Apple phones), or just turn off the notifications in Settings. If this doesn’t work and you still pick up your phone and scroll through regardless, hide your phone in a spot where you can’t see it or give it to a family member who will keep it safe until you’re done with school. If you need music to focus, put some music on a low volume to ensure that you’re not too distracted by the loud noise. Students should be careful when utilizing music, as it has been scientifically proven that humans are less likely to perform to their peak abilities if they are listening to music (with lyrics) while trying to do work.

Sometimes eLearning days can give you small amounts of work, or very large loads. Dealing with work on days where you just feel like resting is a pain, so split up workloads in small portions! Either do each class in the allotted class period time or do the hardest assignment first and finish with the easiest assignment. If you have a small workload instead, catch up on assignments from the past or get ahead and finish some assignments that are due in the next week. Before you do that though, focus on the schoolwork from the eLearning day. 

These days, parents don’t seem to understand how schoolwork loads have changed. 20 years does make a difference, but it doesn’t mean that they should be cruel about how long it takes for you to complete the assignments. Make it clear to your parents about your work for the day and ask them to give you the alone time you need to complete the assignments or ask them to not bother you until you’re done. If they continue to bother you, have a talk with them. Parents care about your grades and will listen to your needs. 

eLearning can be fun if you make it fun. After doing your schoolwork, do a few chores to make your parents happy then make time for your hobbies. The first step to loving eLearn is to make those days the best that they can be. Don’t feel guilty for taking a day to yourself, school takes a mental toll on everyone!

Sincerely, 

Erin