Remember when a cancelled day of school meant staying at home or in your dorm, playing video games, binge watching Netflix and whatever else you felt like doing to pass the time? Those days are long gone...
Your Grades Still Matter!
Whether your classes have moved online with a tool like Numerade’s Office Hours, your SAT/ACT test date has been pushed back, or take home finals are looming, grades still count. Not only do grades this year matter towards your GPA, but so does learning the material to set yourself up for success when classes resume next school year.
Use these tips to stay focused and sharp to finish this unusual semester strong:
1. Remove all distractions
Somehow this is the biggest no brainer, but also one that we often struggle with the most. In all fairness, distractions are distracting! This can be exceptionally difficult when living with others in cramped spaces. Try to find the most isolated section of the place you live and create your own barriers to distractions. Put in headphones, turn notifications off, and make sure that when it is time to study you are giving it 100% of your attention.
2. Remember to schedule for scheduling
A big part of actually accomplishing your study goals and removing distractions is scheduling. Pick a time of day when you will have the least distractions and be the most motivated to work. Research shows that doing work first thing when waking up is the best timing to be efficient with your day. Whatever time you choose, be sure to set an alarm and stick to it.
3. Don’t go it alone
Learning is seldom a single player game, don’t let social isolation beat you! Now that you’ve been ousted from the classroom, you still have to study and work. Only now you don’t have classmates there with you to lean on. Whether you have peers to video conference with or you rely on a platform like Numerade to provide you with HW help and lessons, it is important you are reaching out to resources beyond your lectures and texts to help you succeed.
4. Exercise
Staying active and actually getting up from the couch can play a huge role in your overall mood and brain function. When you feel good, your performance improves and you retain information better. A closed gym and poor weather are no excuse to be inactive. Push ups, planks, jump rope and running in place are all ways to get blood pumping and keep you motivated day after day of self isolation.
5. Try harder!
Trying to learn class material from online lectures and HW is difficult. These last few weeks of the semester are going to make doing well on finals even more challenging than usual. Fortunately, everyone’s life including yours is on some sort of pause, meaning you have extra time to dedicate to learning material. Your grade this semester will impact your GPA as much as any other, so put in the extra work and don’t let Corona Virus or anything else keep you from the grade you deserve. A great way to put in the extra work is to check out the free video courses and textbook solution lessons on Numerade. Chances are the video answers and explanations to the HW you have assigned is free in our library.
