5 minute read
Getting Things Done
Getting Things Done
Students cope with the newfound time and flexibility of online school as they try to stay motivated
Every day, junior Eva Salvatierra starts her day as the sun barely peaks over the mountains. She gets up at 6:00, drinks her coffee, does a core workout and wraps up with a hearty breakfast just before the clock strikes 7:00. Half an hour later after eating, she ties her shoes and embarks on a second workout of either running, biking or strength training.. By 9:00, she is showered, dressed and ready to start a long day of Zoom school. On days with an extra 40 minutes in the morning, Salvatierra takes extra time to water her plants, scroll through social media or even meditate before online school begins.
Now, not all of us wake up and do our mornings exactly like Salvatierra. Some of us may be like Paly freshman Harrison Dike. He gets up five minutes before his class, alarm clock blaring, and rolls straight out of bed body and no work ethic to push them, and onto the computer. For his first class students have started to fall behind. The of the day, he dons an all too common mindless scrolling on TikTok, the out-ofonline school outfit consisting of PJs, un- whack sleep schedules and the feeling that der eye bags and messy tangled hair. On you’ve somehow done nothing all day yet a lucky day, he might have enough time haven’t relaxed at all are just a few norms to shove a lukewarm Eggo waffle in his seeping into the daily lives of many. mouth. While adjusting As distance learning and quar- “Start your day by to online school, it became a tempting antine still have no end in sight, these moving your body and option for students to take all classes trying times have prompted strikgetting fresh air.” on the couch. With the opportunity to ing changes in our Eva Salvatierra, junior do school with the productivity levels. least amount of Some have seen surges in productivity: movement and effort, taking advantage of waking up early and getting work done ef- this is not at all uncommon yet harmful all ficiently and consistently—whether it be the same. The lack of socializing has been for our educational, physical or mental damaging, and students see classwork and goals. attending class all day on computers to be Others have seen online worse than its in-person counterpart. school and quarantine “From being at my house all day and to be straightfor- sitting in Zooms makes me so bored,” ward; with no- Dike said. “It’s like my motivation has completely gone down all around.” The motivation issue may very well be the source of hundreds of students’ struggling grades. What once were simple tasks have now become agonizing ones. In physical school, students eat with friends, enjoy free time and appreciate it, especially since many are preoccupied by sports and other extracurriculars. However, stuck at home, we often see ourselves neglect the time given for these activities. Be-
productivity tips
“I try to take 30 minute breaks per assignment, which helps me get through them all.” Harrison Dike, freshman
Alex Gao, sophomore
“It’s helpful to read before going to bed rather than falling asleep on a computer screen. I wake up in such a good mood, and I’m definitely more ready to begin the day.” Eva Salvatierra, junior
fore quarantine, senior Claire Shimazaki dents who have been able to thrive. Paly and extracurricular activities, exhaustion used to pass the time with her acoustic junior Eva Salvatierra and sophomore creeps in right as that clock hits 3:05 p.m. guitar and drawing to help her destress Alex Gao are prime examples of this type Gao has been able to combat this faand to feel a sense of tranquility in times of student. Salvatierra and Gao have not tigue by utilizing the few breaks he gets of commotion. only been able to stay productive, but in- throughout the day for a full 30 minutes
“I just haven’t been playing the guitar crease their productivity by maintaining a to an hour of meditation to relax. “On that much, I feel [online school] kind of good mindset and schedule. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I screwed my other interests,” Shimaza- Gao has found that working toward a have a prep period so I can run then,” ki said. “I haven’t good headspace is Gao said. “By the time school is dismissed, done any drawing, music or anything “I find playing the an excellent way to improve producI have done my exercise for the day.” If waking up before the sun rises to recently really except for working guitar to be really tivity, even if the path to get there run seems like a death wish, but you are still looking to increase productivity so and school.” relaxing. It helps free is different from you can get to bed before three in the With poor productivity comes your mind when you the average high schooler. morning, there is still hope. Even with low motivation, Dike found when he set small poorer quality of work. “One day feel really unmotivated “Sometimes when I run, I think goals, he was able to do his classwork and manage his extracurriculars just by havI forgot about an to do things.” about math prob- ing clear intentions. “There were a few assignment, and lems, but most of weeks where I wanted to be really prothen that led to Claire Shimazaki, senior the other times I ductive and it went really well,” Dike said. two days, and then just don’t think As the dilemma of online school conone more day and then it all fell apart,” about anything at all,” Gao said. “That tinues on, it is worth noting that it is norDike said. “It just made it tougher. I just helps me because my mind gets a rest and mal to not be as productive compared to can’t work during online school.” I feel fresh after I run.” life pre-pandemic. The world has drasti-
Even though many students have found For many students, the hard part of cally changed and impacted us in differit hard to work with the transition to on- increasing productivity is finding the mo- ent ways. Productivity affects us all in one line learning and the daunting presence tivation to make the efficient use of time. way or another, and what’s important is of COVID-19, there are still some stu- But with a full day of online learning that you carry on.
