Hi, friends.
We are just a few short days away from LexTober which means it’s almost time to break out your mugs, cozy socks, pumpkins, and all things orange. The glorious year of 2020 has really shaken up our world a bit so Lextober seems extra important this year. I want my blog to be a sense of comfort for the entire month of October, a cozy place where you look forward to visiting every day. But until then, I wanted to hop on here and give you all an update on how the semester has been going for me and my tips on being successful with online courses.
My classes started on August 24th and it’s been just a little over a month. I can say I’ve finally gotten the hang of it, the adjustment wasn’t as difficult as I originally anticipated. I have classes every day of the week, but Monday/Wednesday/Friday I only have one and it’s asynchronous, so I complete all my school work on Tuesdays/Thursdays. To be completely honest, I don’t even mind this semester at all. I’m not drowning in school work, my professors are fairer than ever, and I love that I can stay in the comfort of my own home. I am a business student so the majority of my classes can easily be done online without a problem.
To prepare for the semester, I went to Michaels and bought these drawers and organized one drawer for each class. Each drawer has a labeled half-inch binder, the syllabus printed, a folder, and notebook paper. I wanted to treat this semester as if it was as normal as possible, to make sure I stayed on track. I write in my planner every Monday for the week ahead, I find this to be easier than filling out the whole semester because due dates/assignments always ended changing as weeks go by. I started out the semester with a clean and organized desk space with all the basic supplies ready to use (Pens, pencils, Post-its, highlighters, staples, etc). My biggest tip for any semester is to have everything organized beforehand, if you start out with a mess, it’s going to be very hard to not get lost in the work.
- Clean/Organize your space
- Have your supplies ready
- Create a sustainable routine
- Use your planner
- Take notes on Zoom lectures
- Take breaks and make time for yourself no matter what
- Reach out to classmates and create a group me
- Be ahead of deadlines (It’s really the best feeling)
- Be disciplined — time management
- Reach out to your professor if you’re confused/lost/behind. They WANT to help you.
Here’s my routine: I wake up every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30. I shower and get ready for the day, opening the windows and let the light in. I’ll make my bed and then make myself a cup of coffee, and if I’m really on top of it I drink water first. I start any small tasks I need to before my classes start (usually laundry or dishes). I log onto blackboard at 10:50 and I’m on there until 2:50, with three 10 minute breaks. I usually make myself breakfast right before my second class starts and then I work through my courses and head to work at 3:00. My last class of the day is at 6, so you’ll usually find me multitasking eating dinner, taking calculous notes, and working. But luckily I’m able to do all three! I fell into this routine quicky and love everything about it. I’ve always been good at multitasking so this just allows me to become even better.
Also, on a more exciting note, I’m parenting with Vera Bradley on Instagram for a back to school giveaway — so make sure to enter!
Overall, I was very nervous about this semester but I’m actually happier with this routine than any previous semester. Well, that’s all I have for today’s post. I can’t wait for all the spookiness next month! My thankfulness for your support is endless. Don’t forget to leave links to your blogs and instas, as I would love to check them out and follow you all and connect more. As always, feel free to shoot me a message with blog requests, to chat, or share a simple comment. Sending lots of love and positive thoughts to you guys now and always.
All my love,
