#sydneysstudies

Fri. 10/9/21

- Did some reading for fun (You Are a Badass)

- Finished chapter 1 of the textbook I’m reading

- Watched a couple videos/documentaries and read some articles suggested by the textbook

- Did some more reading for the lab I have next week

- Read another lab syllabus

Motivation is very hard to come by when learning online if you are used to being motivated by those around you at school. We have to learn to become self-sufficient and figure out which methods are best to boost your motivation. If you’re struggling to focus, instead of getting frustrated, try to analyze how you feel and what changes you could make to help your situation.

Common scenarios:

1. You’re stuck or frustrated with understanding a topic

Change the subject/task that you are working on to something else and plan to come back to it later with a fresh mind or take a break altogether, especially if you are feeling overwhelmed.

Ask a friend or professor for help. No shame in this (and something that I need to work on doing more).

2. You’re short on time so it feels like you're forced to do a task or you’re bored

(I’ve gotten so used to doing things ahead of time that I find that when I have very little time to do something I feel so overwhelmed that I’m tempted to not even do it at all. I have to convince myself that it’s better to submit as much as I can, rather than not try at all. However, I know that some work better under pressure, like I did too before.)

Change up what music/sounds you are listening to. I rarely am able to work without any sounds, I use music or background sounds to calm me down or keep me from getting too bored. Try switching between classical, video game music, library/cafe ambiance, ASMR, etc. until you are able to comfortably focus with it in the background. Sometimes I like to listen to music in a different language so I don’t get distracted by any lyrics.

Remember that you still need to take breaks. If you don't, you may start to hate doing what you’re working on and that's not what we're going for here.

3. You’re tired and you could probably nod off at any minute

Do a short meditation, which is perfect to clear your mind if you're feeling overwhelmed/distracted too.

Just take a nap. (They don’t always work well for me, but it might be that I’m not taking them for the right amount of time?)

Plan to go to bed earlier that night. Trust me it is worth it!

4. You’re just not able to start doing work at all

Having a schedule in place can help so you don't have to decide when to start working, you just follow the schedule/routine you have set for yourself.

Start with a task that has little resistance, like a topic that you enjoy or something easy and then try more difficult tasks once that barrier of getting started is broken.

The app Forest helped me because I knew that once I started a study session there is no backing down, which helps you get over that initial hesitation to start.

Watching other people's study vlogs/advice videos can be super motivating, just make sure to watch out for unhealthy habits (pulling all-nighters, not getting enough sleep, grinding, etc.) that you don’t want to adopt.  Recommendations: Jing, Ruby Granger, UnJaded Jade

What about when you really don't want to work anymore? When you’ve lost the will to even try? This usually happens when you’re burnt out or you don’t feel like online school is even real (the due dates don’t seem urgent, the grades on your screen don’t mean anything to you anymore, etc.).

Don't forget what motivated you or kept you focused before or in other terms. Reflect on what you've been doing different recently that has led you to feel this way, and set yourself new goals to try to return to (or start) good habits. 

You’re most likely lacking internal motivation when everything but school just seems way more interesting. Remind yourself why you’re doing this in the first place. One giant motivator for me this past term was just pure curiosity and the want to learn. I kept reminding myself about how privileged I was to learn in the comfort of my own home and at my own pace.

Burnout could possibly due to not enough breaks, making you feel trapped doing work. Making time for things that I enjoy doing like cooking, getting outside, or exercising always helped boost my motivation to get back to work. Check out my previous post on the importance on taking breaks to see how to implement more breaks into your routine.

Mon. 13/9/21

The past couple days have been rainy and very fall-like, I love it!

- Completed a discussion post on week 1 material

- Watched a live virtual lecture, the first one for the class and I’m very excited about what we’re going to learn in it!

- Took an hour long nap in the middle of the afternoon lol

- Completed a tutorial and watched part of a lecture for an electronics lab I have later this week

Wed. 8/9/21

First day of classes!

- Went through the syllabi

- Attended a virtual lecture

- Made myself fried eggs on rice for lunch

- Took notes for a 4-part recorded lecture

- Did some textbook reading

Thu. 16/9/21

Spent most of the day on campus today and remembered why I focus better at home lol. Unpopular opinion but there’s just too many distractions when you’re surrounded by other people!

- Went in for an electronics lab in the morning

- Had lunch with friends

- Tried to do some work at the library and outside on campus including the lab report and watching a virtual lecture

- Had dinner with a friend at the park, the weather was perfect!

- Finished the lab report and handed it in

Wed. 15/9/21

Felt a little stressed today, but just have to remember that trying my best is enough!

- Finished a lecture from yesterday

- Took notes for 2 out of a 4-part lecture

- Worked on the electronics lab for hours, I got stuck a lot but I persevered! I think I’ll be in good shape for tomorrow though

Thu. 23/9/21

Another day, another lab haha.

I went to campus and spent most of the day working on my electronics lab for the week. I’m aware the wires are a complete mess but hey at least it works 😂

Thu. 21/10/21 (yesterday)

- had a lunch date with a friend :) and went together to study on campus

- did some textbook reading

- watched a live lecture following along with the notes

- finished taking notes on a lecture from yesterday and completed taking notes for a recorded lecture for another class

- worked more on my lab for this week, kept getting stuck 🙃