School and life as we knew it has completely changed. As of March 30, I started my online school journey, as well as many other students across the world. It has only been a week, but I have already gathered many valuable findings. I am here to share my “Week in the life of online school.”

First things first, having a desk is a life saver! I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have a desk to set up papers, my computer, and spread my work out on. A desk also obtains a sense of normality, for it establishes a routine since students spent hours a day sitting at a desk doing work. 

One of the hardest things I am finding about my newly established routine is the blunt fact that I don’t have an established schedule to follow. At school, there were certain times I would go to class, do work, get up, and go to my next class. Now, I have an entire day filled with nothing, and a long list of assignments I have to complete before the end of the week. It is now up to me to make a schedule, and most importantly GET THINGS DONE! 

However, it is nice being able to lounge around and do homework. I can take as long as I want to wake up and get ready, and then I can decide how much I want to get done in a day. Sleeping in is now an option, so that has been a breath of fresh air. But, this freedom also introduces the disastrous possibility of procrastination. 

Over the past week, I have found that making a list of all I have to do, and then spreading those assignments out throughout the week is an absolute must have. If you don’t have a list of what you need to get done, and a plan of action as to how you are going to get it done, online school is going to run you into a hole. One pro-tip I have is: Act as if you are at school and writing in your agenda to keep track of work. This is, in my opinion, the most important tip for transitioning into our new norm.

As the new transition into digital school begins, there are going to be bumps in the road. Some things are going to stick out and prove to be helpful and useful, and other things are going to be absolutely frustrating. 

I have found Google Classroom to be a positive to the chaos. I go into each of my classes, and can see all of my assignments. The due dates are listed in the post, and any dire information is provided. For people without an agenda, classroom is a saving grace. 

Unfortunately, my email has sky-rocketed in the past week with all of the updates and assignments. Not to mention, the different platforms for work and communication have proven to be found stressful and confusing at times. Zoom, Google Hangouts, Google Chat, Loom and more are some of the apps available to communicate with teachers face-to-face. 

It is hard to keep track of which teacher is using what platform, and at what times. But, I would say that there are little complications with the transition. I am very thankful for all of the teachers who are making learning possible. This is a new experience for all of us, and teachers are the ones having to be creative with new learning opportunities. 

My typical day so far has been pretty productive, but is slow at first. I wake up around 9-9:30 am. I usually lay in bed for 15 minutes or so, and then go and make breakfast. 

Then, I get dressed and get ready for the day. I have found that getting dressed and looking human is very helpful in feeling more productive. It is hard to get motivated when nobody is telling you you have to, so getting dressed really helps to get into that learning feeling! 

Once I am ready for the day, I sit down at my desk, open up my computer, and look at my to-do list for the day. I spread out the entire week’s assignments among the five days. I start with what I feel the most up to doing since it is the morning. I put on some music to inspire me, and I get to work! 

At around 12:30 pm, I get some lunch and take a break from the harsh screen. This break gives me a chance to relax and think about something other than school. Once rejuvenated, I come back to my desk and continue working. After lunch is when I try to do the more demanding and less motivational assignments because I have more energy. 

I try to take a break at about 2:00 pm, consisting of a short show, practicing my instrument, dancing, or bullet journaling. Since I am not able to go and teach dance, I have been making some dance classes virtually for my Creative Movement and Pre-Ballet classes for my job. If there is more work to do, I will finish it after my break. This is usually the final push of the day. I don’t have much to fill my days with now, so school is an opportunity to solve the boredom!

Transitioning from waking up at 6:30 am to waking up whenever I wish, and going from having seven hours of school to an entire weeks worth of school to do throughout the course of a week is definitely a new adventure. I am doing my best to cope with this foreign way of doing things, as most of us as a student body are. I have found somewhat of a routine to live by in these new circumstances of online school, but I am sure that throughout the many weeks, things will change. 

New ideas will come up and new strategies will arise. My “Pro-tips are: finding what works for you, finding your own routine, and finding ways to still have fun. These are important factors to adapting to the new lifestyle we are living in. We as a school are in this together. Stay positive and encouraged!