March 2020 – rachel hall

Hopefully, if you’re listening to the news, you are staying home while all this hullabalo is happening. For some people, especially Americans, it’s a big change to go from constantly moving around and doing things to just staying at home.

One of the hardest hit with this new reality is students. Most students go from being given a schedule and following it all day to life being more…freeform.

I’m very lucky that I’ve done online school before (around 2 years in fact) so I have, for the most part, no problem with doing work from home. However, I’m not going to lie, it can be very difficult, especially now since my chaotic family is doing work from home with me. But despite this, I do have some tips that may help you.

1. Make a Work Schedule

You’re going to have to make your OWN schedule throughout the day. There’s a lot of freedom in that, and it can be very daunting. What I suggest is first thinking about the schedule you normally follow when you’re at school. What do you like about it? What do you hate about it?

If you think you wake up too early, make some alarms for what time you would prefer. If you want to have lunch sooner, have lunch sooner! You’re going to need a lot of alarms when first starting your new schedule, but soon, you’ll find you’ll get the hang of it. If it helps, draw a chart or make one on your computer to visualize it. You can also talk to your friends about schedules. Keep in mind, this is YOUR schedule! So if you want to change things, feel free to do so.

2. DO NOT BE SNUGGLY

Since you’re at home often and no one outside of your house is seeing you, it can be very tempting to wear your pajamas all day and work in your room with some comfy blankets and clothes. This may work for some people, but for the most part DO NOT DO THIS.

Dress as if you ARE going to school.

Set up a study spot as if you ARE working.

For most people, they already have a study spot in their house. Use that! If you don’t have one yet, if i were you I would NOT use your room, since I associate that with relaxing and sleeping. I’ve tried working in my pajamas in my room and I end up falling asleep and using my textbook as my pillow.

3. Plan Ahead

When looking through your work, like at school, you have to figure out what is due when and figure out what order to get things done in. If I were you, I’d get the hardest work done first as well as what is due the earliest.

If you have a planner, utilize it to write daily goals you want to check off or finish. Write any goal, school or home related, no matter big or small. The thing about being home all the time is that you can have more variety in your checklist! You can be sure to clean your room AND finish an essay all in the same day!

Write down on a piece of paper, in your planner, or on your phone what is due and when right away. Seeing as there is no teacher with you to remind you when things are due, it’s important you write dates down so you don’t forget and plan accordingly.

4. Take Advantage of This

Many students feel test anxiety or anxiety in general when it comes to school. Take advantage of this opportunity to work from home. However, that does not mean you should become lazy. Write notes however you please, but still write notes. Use the textbook during tests but still read the textbook. Eat and drink during lectures but still pay attention.

5. Avoid all Distractions

This will probably be the hardest one. Despite being very disciplined and having experience with online school, I still get distracted VERY easily.

Before even working, set your study space up. Have all the utensils needed to complete your tasks for the day, so you don’t have to keep going up and down from your seat to find what you need. It may be difficult with family around, but try to plan when to do fun activities with them and when to do serious work. Be sure to tell your family ahead of time your schedule so they don’t yell at you during lectures.

PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY.

Yes I’m serious.

Unless you need your phone to work, put it in another room or only use it during breaks (which you can put in your schedule or decide for yourself at the moment.)

I hope these tips helped you in any way. Be sure to be kind to yourself during this time and more importantly, take care of yourself, both physically and mentally.

It took me a while to finish this because of school and because I didn’t want to leave this universe but I finally managed to! Hope you like my review!

The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan is a Sound of Music-esque type novel with nuisance children, a clueless new nanny, and a mysterious and questionable father, except without all the singing, and fear of nazi takeover. Despite this, Colgan manages to write some hard-hitting drama, which is why I gave this novel a 4 out of 5 stars.

I was gravitated to this book because I figured this would be a sequel to The Bookshop on the Corner. However, Colgan makes it clear that this is not a sequel, rather that it is a book in the same universe. This is rather unfortunate because what drew me into Colgan’s books was the bookish main character Nina and her bookshop. Although Nina is still in this novel, she is very much pregnant and insufferable, taking some of the magic away that was in Colgan’s previous novel.

However, I did find love for the new main character Zoe and her toddler Hari. Although I am not a mother myself, I did relate with her and rooted for her just as I did in Maria. However, despite the title of the book, the bookshop is not the center of the plot, rather Zoe and her relationship with ex Jaz and the children she is nannying.

I will give Colgan props for this: she knows how to make someone completeley unlikeable, and that person was none other than DJ, ex, and baby daddy Jaz. If I were to describe him as a person, it would all be language that is not appropriate for a book review. I nearly had to stop reading because of how much of a jerk he was in Part 1.

I was very grateful when the book shifted focus to Zoe’s new life nannying the Urquart family. Although the children were absolute nightmares, their relationship with both Zoe and Hari and the growth they went through in the novel was very well written. Some of the best plot twists and dialogue are with her and the Urquart children.

Ramsay, the father, however I have multiple feelings about. It’s quite clear he’s not a perfect father. Throughout the book he makes serious mistakes that are almost borderline offensive but at the same time, it’s clear he cares about them and has no intention in harming them. Seeing as I am not an expert in parenting, I don’t feel comfortable giving a blank statement on him, and certainly do not want to give spoilers, so whether he is a good or bad father I think you should decide for yourself.

Despite some of my own personal critiques I do think this is a book that should be picked up. Even if it did not contain as much magic as the Bookshop on the Corner, I would still rate it a 4 out of 5 stars. However, I do think it would be easier if you read it in chronological order even if it doesn’t affect the plot too much.