I hope you all are well and staying safe during this uncertain period we are currently living in. When I first heard that school would be closing, I would be lying to you all if I said that I wasn’t a bit excited. Just the thought of waking up later than 6.00am, being in your PJs all morning, seemed like absolute heaven. But then I started to understand how this wasn’t a holiday and that I would still, in fact, have to wake up before 8:30 every day for registration and follow my school timetable. The feeling of excitement drifted away and I started to feel very overwhelmed and a bit anxious about this new chapter, and how online school would actually work. Change is hard. I hate change. But it’s necessary for us go through change to grow and adapt so we can become a stronger people at the end of it. So when online schooling was introduced, I took the longest internal groan ever. I thought that you could do the work whenever you felt like it and whatever time you wanted. However, I’ve gotten into a routine and I’ve decided that online school is kind of the same, apart from the loud lesson bell, the busy corridors and the long lunch queue! One thing that has helped me is sticking as close to the timetable as possible because it increases my motivation to do the work and this helps you to not fall behind!
This period can be used as a time of growth. Do things that make you happy. Whether that its wearing a face mask or watching your favourite film (if you’re wondering my fave film is high school musical 2 and I’m certain that I’ve watched this film at least 20 times). Also, I would recommend at the start of each week to write down 3 goals to achieve by the end of the week. For example, mine this week were: to read 3 chapters from my book, practise my guitar and to do some French vocab. This helps you to keep busy and proactive during the week, whilst developing skills that will become helpful later on in life.
Try learning something new! I love learning new things! This period is the perfect time for that. All those times that you said you were going to learn the guitar or learn a new language, this is the perfect opportunity for that! During these challenging times, keep trying to see the positives by having a positive outlook on life! Just remember that you are surrounded by a loving family and a group of friends who are there to support you if you’re feeling anxious.
Communication is amazing; it helps you to stay in touch with your friends and catch up on the things you may have missed, especially when you feel lonely. Exercise is very good at reducing anxiety and stress and also to stay healthy. Organise your workspace. A clear and tidy environment helps you to concentrate better and gives you an extra push to do your work!
I wish you and your families all the best.
Jada