After this week, the rest of the semester will go completely virtual and for those on campus who have taken in person and co-flex classes the transition may be a little difficult. All classes and finals will presume online after the Thanksgiving Day break and staying on task may not be easy if you are returning home after the break.
It’s important to stay on task as finals are quickly approaching. Being home and taking online finals is new. Those who have taken classes online may be used to taking monitored and timed tests online already but if you haven’t already, you need to start preparing for classes while at home.
Going home and taking finals may be difficult as distractions and risk of distraction will be a lot higher. For those going home and staying with their parents you may need to make it a point to let them know when you’ll be working so that noises around the house need to be kept down.
While home, stay on schedule. Don’t sleep in until noon, wake up when you normally would for class so that when the time for finals comes you will still be on schedule and prepared. While prepping for finals start gathering any documents or information you will need to study, and while it may be tempting to put off, do not wait till the last minute. This year will be different; finals will be taken from the comfort of your own home and while it may be easy to get distracted, you will need to stay on task. Make a check list for things you need to do every day. Break up the classes you need to study and organize the information. Take breaks while studying, every hour set a timer to take a break, get a snack, walk around or pet your dog for a moment and then get back to studying. As we know it, so far there will be no pass or fail choice so your GPA is relying on you. Stay focused but also enjoy your time back at home.