How has everyone been adjusting to life in quarantine? In this post I will take you through a day in my quarantine life and show how I stay on schedule and focused on school.
In one of my earliest blog posts I wrote about how I write a daily list of things I want to complete. I continue to do the same now. The list is usually comprised of only three or four assignments, but if I don’t stay focused it can take me hours to complete something that could have been done in twenty minutes. I begin every day writing my list and eating breakfast. I like having everything I need done by around dinnertime.
I have written this list but I will inevitably procrastinate! 
My new way of starting every morning.
Even though most of my professor’s lectures are not mandatory or completely written out online now, I still try to attend every Zoom meeting and set up appointments to speak to them individually. My grades were good at the beginning of the semester and I don’t want this quarantine to cause them to slip. You can either utilize this time to boost your GPA, or treat it like an early summer and blow off the rest of your classes. Admittedly, there have been times where I turn in half assed assignments I probably would have worked harder on had I not been laying in my bed all day.
At Texas State, I had established a solid study/eat/workout/relax routine that has been demolished now that I am at home. It took time, but I’ve created a new routine that is not as rigid but still easy to follow. I essentially start the day by eating breakfast, watching a Zoom lecture or doing homework, finishing any assignments I’ve listed and ending the day by working out. While I would want nothing more than to stay on my couch all day, I try to run two or three miles every day or do an online workout just to stay active.
My workout playlist (gets me pretty pumped): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3tcYr6eujrzB47p3au1Elc?si=fEhXg-NdRX6J8GkSkEC4yg
It’s easy to become unmotivated and let your grades slip because of switching to a remote learning setting. Formulating a routine and setting goals for yourself makes you feel accomplished and helps you remain driven. By completing all of the work I have during the first half of the day, I can relax for the remainder of the day and not have the thought of “I still have to complete this assignment” in the back of my head.
Moving back home for the semester has shown me how motivated I am about school. After having two weeks of spring break, going back to studying seemed difficult and honestly, unnecessary. I try to view the situation through a financial lens-I’m paying so much for school I should try as hard as I can. Hopefully, reading how I have been handling my days in quarantine can help someone going through the same thing. Remember, we are living through a pandemic, it’s okay to focus less on school.
P.S.-Please appreciate the makeshift pun in the title of this post because it took me like five minutes to come up with it!
The Bliss in Independence 