How to Stay Motivated in Remote-Learning

By Anna

Amidst the stressful situations that may occur throughout teen years, especially at home, school has always managed to be an escape in many ways for most. However, with the new remote-learning system in place, most of the benefits to school have been limited. Not only does this have an impact on students’ motivation to learn and put effort into their schoolwork, but also on teens’ overall mental health, as remote-learning deprives us of school’s social benefits.

For me personally, the switch into a remote-learning environment has hit especially hard, as prior to isolation, school had motivated me to succeed in school because of the social aspect that it provided. Spending meals with my friends, conversing with teachers, or just getting to leave the house each day was something I am sure many people looked forward to. However, it gets frustrating to be so isolated from the people you once saw everyday, and that is why many of us have lacked the motivation to stay attentive in our classes, among various other reasons. All that seems to remain of school is its endless stress from daily exams and assignments. I have noticed that many of my friends, as well as myself, fall victim to procrastination, as without the physical aspect, online school can lack the sense of realness, and therefore motivation to complete work has slowly perished.

However, there are many strategies that make it possible to overcome these hardships:

• Getting Ready - This would definitely be my most recommended strategy in keeping motivated for each day before class. I suggest waking up at least thirty minutes prior to class. This way, you can shower, put on some makeup and get dressed in a cute outfit, all so you feel refreshed for the day.

• Consistent Daily Routine - Consistency and routine are two things that allow us all to feel more sane and secure. In order to do this, I make sure each day before school to shower, get dressed, drink a single bottle of water, make myself coffee and breakfast, and occasionally time will be left over to study, read, or simply scroll through social media. It is so important for mental health to not only keep a steady routine, but have some time to breathe and think before your classes begin.

• Facetiming Friends - Although not everyone may like this method, I feel far more motivated to stay away from my phone and finish homework when my phone is propped up in front of me with a friend on the line. This way you can also not miss out on the social aspect that remote learning has deprived us of this year.

• Reward System - I am sure most studious and productive students will enjoy the feeling of rewarding yourself for the hard work that you’ve accomplished after a long school day. One way to make a reward system would be setting a number of hours studied, or a certain number of assignments completed, that you can reward yourself for by either checking it off your planner, or by treating yourself to some delicious food or a new movie.

• Changing Scenery - This is by far the most underrated strategy, as not many people remember to consider all of the ways in which you can change up everything around you. For example, this week I rearranged all of the furniture in my room, which made it overall more comfortable, and was a refreshing change. In addition, doing remote classes in your backyard or in your kitchen might prevent you from falling asleep or losing focus during class.

Overall, I am sure that every teen worldwide understands the struggles of keeping motivated during the introduction to this brand new school environment. Regardless of your potential skepticism, I encourage you all to push yourselves out of your comfort zones, and reflect on the bad or good habits that you may have developed over this unusual and crazy period of time.

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