Zoom Life Hacks to Stay Motivated
Your alarm clock rings and you hit the snooze button. It rings again but now you are fumbling out of bed and searching for the Zoom link buried somewhere in Brightspace.
Mornings for this year’s students have been unusual. Moving to remote learning may lead to students staying in their pyjamas and lying in bed as they listen to their professors through their Zoom class.
The silver lining is, you are not alone. Here are some Algonquin students who are doing their best to break these cycles by creating hacks for better creativity.
Rame Kader, an animation student said, “I realized changing out of my pyjamas actually puts my mind into work mode. That instantly makes me feel like, ‘Okay, it’s not sleep time, it’s work time.’”
Kader focused on her mindset, to be mentally present for her classes and to be able to pay full attention. “Having a good set up helps; being ready and being organized in the office helps me focus in the zoom,” said Kader.
Not only changing out of your clothes and creating an organized space can help, but also, “wake up 30 minutes before class, have your coffee, wash your face then enter your zoom class,” said Cherlinta Cher-Aime, a business administration core student. “Don’t go back to bed, it’s a trap.”
The trick to help you stay productive is to eliminate distractions. One way of doing that, said Cher-Amie is to, “set a timer for 25 minutes and in those 25 minutes you’re not allowed to touch your phone and you have to study.” With practice, you will be less inclined to check your phone.
With the hustle and bustle of classes, students may forget to take time off for themselves. Cher-Amie suggests, “Self-care for mental health; set aside one day. It can be having your favourite tea that night or doing a skincare routine or watching a favourite movie.”
Zoom etiquette goes a long way to help your classmates. Paying attention, staying muted, and respecting others when they speak are just some of the ways you can do that. However, Cher-Amie jokingly adds, “If you know your camera is going to be on, warn your whole house before you get on it.”
