For those who work full-time you’re likely to be familiar with the productivity slide after lunch. Through a combination of blood sugar dropping, social obligations, and social media notifications it’s no wonder why your to do list flounders after a mid-day meal. So what about students that work all day and come home to a family, responsibilities, and online classwork? Instead of sitting down at the computer after the meal is over what you really want is some quality time with your family, your favorite TV show, or just some disconnected R&R. Here are some of my suggestions for staying motivated for your school work after dinner.
1. Keep your computer set up in a room without a TV.
Avoid the temptation of watching the latest episode of House of Cards, or the Walking Dead. During the week your time is limited as it is, and sitting down for an hour long program easily cuts into your productivity. Keep your momentum going by setting up your laptop, or a desktop, in a room without a TV. If one is already mounted in the room then throw a sheet over it. If it’s out of site, it could more easily be out of mind.
2. Weave in classwork right after dinner, and right before bed.
One of the easiest ways to get into a learning groove is by working at the dinner table. You may have done this as a kid too. This way you’re not dragging out getting it done before you crash for the night. If you’re preparing for a discussion post then plot out your points at the dinner table, and then log on an hour or two later to post your response.
3. Include your family in some of the work.
Even if you have small kids it’s good to get others involved. Break out one of your books for class and read some of the sections out loud, or have them help you with an outline for a paper. The beauty of brainstorming content is that you don’t always need to know 100% of the subject material to formulate the structure for your argument. Getting an outside perspective can help you catch something you wouldn’t have noticed before.
Work little by little throughout the week on your class assignments. The worse thing you can do to yourself is to put it off until the weekend. If you set aside small increments of time throughout the week to complete classwork then you’ll lower your stress, and you’ll have more time to spend with family and friends.
By J. Mason
Online Learning Tips Editor
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