by Ana Squires ’20

It has been three weeks of social distancing. One week of social isolation. Boredom has officially set in. But now, we are starting school again. 

I spent the first two weeks taking a mental break from the constant stressors of school and AP exam season. I was hopeful that after these two weeks, life would return to normal and we would go back to school. And we are going back to school, in a sense, but online. 

As I transition from the complete freedom from school work to piles of at-home assignments every day, I realize that the structure of a school day is what kept me productive. Now, no one tells me when to do work, just when to turn it in. I am given weeks for assignments, but they take a lot of work. It is up to me to schedule my time and take control of when I do the assignments. 

Furthermore, there seem to be more assignments than what I would get on a normal school week. Without teachers reminding me daily about upcoming assignments, I need to remember to do them on my own. 

The structure that school gives us on a daily basis is what keeps me on top of my work. So, I have taken it upon myself to create structure in my life. I created a daily schedule, outlining when I do school work, when I do house work, and when I take a break. So far, I have not slipped from this schedule, and following it has allowed me to be more productive and get my work done faster. 

In this way, I am controlling what I can when the world is out of control. Locked up, with the only real structure coming from the orders to stay home, I have created my own structure, and I recommend you do the same in whatever way you can.