Back to School 2020 Remote Edition

etta 08/27/20

hi, everyone. this is etta.

(previously known as polar_bear/ano)

This school semester will most likely be different for some of us with the pandemic at play. I am an university student so some of the tips might not be applicable for people in different institutions but hopefully a few of the tips and items listed will serve everyone reading.

Let's get started!

———————————————

B L O G L E N G T H : L O N G

———————————————

c o n t e n t s

tips for remote learning

typical personal checklist

what i will do differently

products i use

———————————————

Tips for Remote Learning

Comfortable Workspace

This is something that I've realized is the most important following last semester's few weeks of online learning. My desk chair was never the most comfortable but usually I didn't sit at it for long hours so it didn't matter. I asked for a better desk chair for my birthday and no long experience the shoulder and neck pain that I used to experience.

A raised screen is also very important. I have a laptop raise (with a fan) on top of a laptop shelf to my screen so that the top of the screen is right below my eye level.

This is not necessary, but I would also suggest to invest in a keyboard and a mouse in combination with a raised laptop.

Attend the Lectures Real Time if Possible

I had multiple discussion with friends and peers during the start of online learning and this is the one advice they gave me unanimously. I made many excuses for not attending lectures since I believed that I'd find the time to watch the replays and it was never the case. And no one has time to cram all the recorded lectures just days before the final.

Attending the lecture would be the best option because it ensures that you have a fixed schedule and also allows you to raise the questions you have in real time. If it is not possible for you because you are in a different time zone, attempt to watch the lecture re-plays in the originally scheduled lecture hours.

Trust me, having a fixed schedule is really helpful.

Apps / Add-ons that are Helpful

I've always been very into digital time management so I will always recommend My Favorite System. For those of you who don't want to see the blog, I use Trello as my to-do list, PomoDoneApp for my pomodoro sessions, and Toggl for tracking and report. I suggest you check out PomoDoneApp before thinking it's not for you because it can be easily linked to multiple to-do list apps and s that you might be already using. This is not sponsored. I've been using this for over two years.

I enjoyed Google Chrome until recently where I'm experiencing trouble with YouTube. But the following add-ons are the ones I do use on the Chrome (and am trying to find replacements for on FireFox / Edge)

OneTab: this is an add-on that condenses all of your opening tabs in one click for easy access

Toby: this is an extra organizer for bookmarks (and also a default browser homepage) that allows you access tabs you want to open faster

I also have Google Calendar and Zoom Schedule extensions for obvious reasons.

Zoom Tips

There are really four main tips I have if your school uses Zoom for lectures.

1. Have a white virtual background prepared, makes meetings where you need to leave videos on a lot more professional looking.

2. After you select meeting, the small arrow down button allows you to select from recent rooms you've been to, so if you know the and the name of the owner, this is the fastest way I know to the meeting. (You need to have been to the room at least once)

3. If you are worried about microphone quality, consider the OG apple earphones (the wired ones) because those have pretty good quality. Another good candidate is a gaming headset.

4. Enabling wait room is a good way to prevent zoom bombing but also doesn’t ask your guests to enter a every time they enter.

Email Tips

Before quarantine happened, I liked to start my emails with "I hope you're having a wonderful day/week so far." Since stay-at-home, I like to start my emails with "I hope you, your family, and friends are all staying safe and well during this moment in time."

It's good to be polite and wish other people well.

Google Calendar Tips

1. To have custom colors, you can create calendars (using the + next to other calendars) and then add a color of your choice later. You will need to create a calendar for every course in a different color though.

2. Adding the zoom links in the descriptions of the events is a good way to lecture.

3. Add academic calendars of your school to your google calendar if you can so you know the holidays and breaks.

4. If your school has a particular email (usually the .edu format), you’re able to find other people’s calendars in the subscribe to new calendar function. If you don’t want people to see your calendar, make sure to change your settings.

———————————————

Back to School 2020 Remote Edition-[CI]hi, everyone. this is etta.
[CI](previously known as polar_bear/ano)
This school sem

———————————————

Typical Personal Checklist

before school starts

Fix Sleep Schedule

This is something I've been trying to do for the past few weeks which you can find me talking about this issue on my weekly reflections.

Google Calendar

I like to move all of my courses and the timing to Google Calendar and add the zoom links in the description section so it's easy for me to find classes / receive reminders if a class is starting soon. to adjust the repeat pattern, color coordinate, and end the class on a correct date.

Review Extracurriculars

This for me includes any club activities that have been confirmed and/or any part-time jobs. If there are meetings for those activities I like to add them onto Google Calendar similar to the classes so I know that the time is blocked out for any future responsibilities. I also like to plan out days on which I will work on those projects since it should be relatively easy to see by just looking at the prepared calendar.

I'll also review emails to add any events and orientations onto the calendar as well.

after 1st lecture

Prepare Notebooks

I prefer to start preparing notebooks after the 1st lecture because the lecture will really aid me in deciding what format of notes to keep. I would prefer to type my notes if possible as that is the fastest way for me to keep track of everything but most of the time I'll use GoodNotes 5 to write digitally. Once in a while a lecture might provide powerpoints for you to take notes on and in certain classes I might take notes on a physical notebook (mostly for my previous French classes since that was a requirement). But I think it's good to be prepared for notetaking on a medium that you might not use for the following classes.

Textbooks

So… College textbooks are expensive. I normally opt for ing my textbooks digitally through sources such as Library Genesis or see if any of my friends have the textbooks available. Some times the kind people in your major might create a communal Google Drive where students try to help each other but I understand that this might be sketchy for some of you.

I've also seen professors sharing out the reading / textbooks digitally, textbook not being the main material the lectures are based on, etc. Second-hand textbooks are also a good option but some of us might not be coming back to an area close to campus. So far the only textbooks I've had to purchase were ones that are bundled to access codes / ones that are required for foreign language or in-class essays.

Make Finals & Projects Schedule

I prefer to make the finals & projects schedule after attending because I might decide whether or not to take the class depending on the taste of the first lecture. For things that I do on paper such as this specific spread I've been doing for a long time I prefer to wait until things are more settled to craft.

and here's a checklist version of it for you to keep

———————————————

What I'm Planning to Do Differently

Meal Prep / Plan

I normally eat out a lot and order delivery during the semester; partially because I was eating with friends but also because I was scared to find time in cooking. During the last few weeks of my Weekly Reflection, I really grew to enjoy the process of cooking and planning out what to eat. Even if I don't meal prep in large batches, I am still planning to find ways to eat at home. I can order groceries to be delivered to my place through apps like instacart.

Exercise at Home

I am fortunate to have a roommate with a cycling machine that I can borrow but I think it is important to have some form of movement even when staying at home. Just setting reminders to walk around during your pomodoro rests or using resistance bands to stretch are all good ideas.

Decide on Hobbies

I really want to develop more of my interests during this semester. Cooking is a great place to start but I would also like to try painting or drawing during the weekends to have happy moments in my week. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

Schedule Checkups w/ Friends

So my current weekly checkup with my friends is we watch new s from the taskmaster together through Zoom. I think multiple online games out there are also worth playing together with friends to de-stress a bit and have some human interaction through the screen. Good games I'd recommend are: Broken Picture Phone (similar to Pictionary but is very absurd) and Covidopoly (similar to monopoly dealer. Both are free and online.

———————————————

Products I Use

These are the products I've mentioned in this blog and are products I have used for a long time. The links are Amazon d which means I earn a referral if you purchase (not click) from the link. The prices of the products are not changed through the link. I also encourage you to seek alternatives since these products are the ones I enjoy the most but might not be for you.

Logitech K380 Keyboard (~USD 30)

Logitech M510 Mouse (~USD 27)

Laptop Cooler (~USD 31)

Laptop Riser Stand / Shelf (~USD 22)

Apple Wired Earphones (~USD 19)

Gaming Headset i couldn’t find the ones I have (~ USD 26)

Stretch Bands for Exercise (~USD 8)

Online Games w/ Friends (not sponsored)

https://www.covidopoly.io

https://www.brokenpicturephone.com/

https://skribbl.io/

———————————————