Taking online classes does not mean our life is going to get any easier. In fact, it’s probably going to make us more exhausted than we’ve ever felt before. But if there’s anything that we’ve learned from boy scouts, preparation is key.

So you better buckle up because we’re going to reveal two secrets that can help you figure out how not to get burned out in school!

Secret 1: Learn to say no.

You probably know that you should be doing it. But the harder part is learning how to say no, right? While that is another topic in of itself, I could tell you right now that the biggest thing you need to be able to say no is having some degree of selfishness.

Well we could call it being selfish, but it’s really looking out for yourself. Learning to say no is one of the greatest forms of self-care that you’re probably not practicing.

There are two factors that may be driving you to agree to every opportunity in front of you: guilt and excitement.

 Guilt 

In this context, guilt is something you feel inside, but is brought on by external factors. There are many situations where this feeling may manifest. Common ones include a sibling asking you for a favor, or a friend asking if you can help them out.

We’re not telling you to say no to other people the moment they ask you for your time and effort. But always consider asking “why” before you agree to help out. Then, weigh out your options.

I would personally be hesitant to drop everything I’m doing just to help out someone who’s cramming a paper because they were getting wasted last night. Ultimately, whom you choose to give your time to boils down to you.

Although the greatest sin you could commit is saying yes to someone whom you don’t feel deserves it.

It may seem like it’s rude to say no to someone, but remember that they are simply asking for your time and effort. If they get pissed at you, that speaks more about their character than it does yours.

No one should force you into doing anything but yourself because it’s not your fault if you already have too much on your plate already.

Sure you may feel guilty when you say no, but it’s something you have to deal with to learn how not to get burned out in school.

 Excitement 

Being excited to do everything is a great way to easily get burned out. And unlike guilt, this is something brought upon by your own volition. What you need from yourself is to muster up a little thing called patience.

The feeling of excitement is heavily tied to one’s ambitions. When you’re as young as you are, it’s easy to get caught up in your desire to learn everything you can about the world. Unfortunately, this can lead you to try out so many things at once that you’ll end up spreading yourself too thin.

Do you have those friends with a million extracurricular activities? We call them the Type A leader.

More often than not, no one is forcing them to be a member of all these student groups, but their excitement to try out everything is driving them to make these choices. There are people who crave for that kind of exhaustion in their lives, and there are people who find fun somewhere else.

What may be good for your growth and happiness may not necessarily be good for your mental and emotional state.

You have to catch yourself during these times and have the guts to say no to yourself. It’s easier than it sounds, but everyone has some sort of self-driven motivation that will make them say yes to every shiny opportunity.

So how exactly do you avoid giving into your own excitement?

Secret 2: Plot out your priorities. Then cut them down.

You can’t do everything at once. Whether you like it or not, there will come a time where you’ll just have too many things in your plate. The worst thing you could do is add unnecessary tasks because of guilt or excitement.

It’s common sense. When your stomach is already full, you don’t order another plate; you remove it from your system.

The important thing you need to do is to mentally or physically note what your priorities are for the immediate future, and the weeks to come. And priorities here don’t necessarily mean work. This is not a to-do list where every item needs to be ticked off.

Priorities can refer to things or activities that you find valuable: reading a book, going out with friends, doing a skincare routine. Once you’ve ranked them from most important to least, it’s time to remove the ones at the bottom of the list. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to completely forget about them, it’s just that those things are gonna have to wait.

You only have 24 hours in a day. Something’s got to give.

Accepting this fact is the first step to learning how not to get burned out.

If you’re having a difficult time cancelling or “postponing” your priorities, then ask yourself: what do I need right now?

Sometimes you just need to get a certain assignment done because of a looming deadline. And sometimes, you just need to rest, so put off the online workshop you were going to attend and spend more time with your family.

Being focused on what you really need to do will help you fight guilt and excitement because you’ll know that you are saying no with purpose.

You want to learn another secret about how not to get burned out in school? Stop trying to be perfect. In this article, we give you tips on how you can avoid falling into that trap. Never miss out on anything by following us @ZoomersCornerPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Featured Image: Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels

The post How Students Can Avoid Burnout by Learning these 2 Secrets appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

Students aren’t the only ones adapting to online learning, but our beloved teachers as well. Remaking their syllabus for online classes has probably exhausted them to no end. But what’s even more exhausting is the fact that they’re seated all day giving out lectures through what’s probably a crappy internet connection.

It’s already difficult enough to keep everyone’s attention in a classroom setting. Now imagine what a nightmare it is to do that in a Zoom call. Yeesh.

So like the good role model students we are, here are some ways you can help make your teacher’s life easier in little ways.

1. Keep yourself from unnecessarily laughing.

It’s no secret that you’re probably on Messenger chatting away with friends while you’re all on the same Zoom call. And more likely than not, you’re keeping yourself entertained with memes and jokes that have nothing to do with your teacher or the lecture.

Unfortunately, your teacher probably does not know this and may get pretty distracted if they see you giggling. It’s only normal for someone presenting to assume that they said or did something funny if they see the audience laughing.

It was easy to hide giggles and laughter when the teacher was facing the blackboard. Now though, it’s not only difficult to do without getting caught, but it’s also rude.

2. Respond quickly.

“Can you guys see my screen,” your teacher calls out.

What happens after is probably an awkward two-second silence where everyone just waits for a brave soul to say yes. Why not be the one to answer your teacher? It’s literally just one word that you have to say and it’s impossible to get the question wrong.

Adapting to online learning means proactively keeping the communication process between teachers and students as smooth as possible. And as we know, communication is a two-way street.

I’m sure your teacher will appreciate a quick reply in any question they ask rather than wondering for a split-second if their internet connection is choppy. Nobody likes awkward silences… but nobody likes awkward silences in video calls even more.

So anytime your teacher asks a question to the entire class, either unmute to answer, leave a message in the Zoom chat, or just nod.

3. Don’t prank them.

Unless your teacher is a certified prankster or you know that they can take it, do not prank them. Yeah, we’ve watched all the videos of students turning off their cameras and changing their names to “Reconnecting” so the teacher thinks that something is wrong with their internet.

Sure it was funny months ago, but now, it’s just unoriginal. And probably annoying for the teacher who just wants to finish the lecture.

4. Stay on mute.

It’s just proper Zoom etiquette! If you have nothing to say, don’t forget to keep yourself muted. No one wants to hear your electric fan in the background or the sound of your mother nagging at you in the background.

Okay, maybe we want to hear that.

But it would definitely be better for your teacher and classmates if you kept the room a bit more conducive for learning by muting yourself.

5. Don’t be a ghost.

Instead, be easy to contact. This goes beyond the online lectures on Zoom, and has to do with the fact that physical distance means it’s harder for your teacher to know how you’re doing.

We know everyone is just in different mental states right now living through a pandemic and economic unrest. Because of that, some of us will eventually need to take mental breaks from school. And believe it or not, most teachers care about their students’ wellbeing.

Hence, we are encouraging you to send over an e-mail to your teacher if you’ll need to be absent.

Some of them may get worried if you go AWOL even for just one class. So while we realize it may be difficult to do, it would be best to inform them beforehand. It’s a vital part in the process of adapting to online learning. Or at the very least, update them why you didn’t attend the class once you’ve returned.

6. Don’t let them chase you.

When it comes to projects and requirements, submit them within the deadline. There are kind and sympathetic teachers who would chase after you even after the deadline just so you’ll be able to pass the class.

This is especially true when it comes to thesis.

Now in a virtual setting, chasing a student is harder to do. Imagine making your good-willed teacher exhausting all means possible to try and reach you. I know there are people reading this who, out of shame, tend to ghost their teacher or class when they have failed to submit a requirement.

Don’t be that person.

Not in this pandemic.

7. Just go along with it.

Look, your teachers are doing their hardest to keep classes engaging and fruitful. There will be times when they do something or ask you to do things that will make you think, “WTF? What is the point of this?”

It’s easy to complain when you’re merely watching their syllabus unfold without seeing all the preparations that they have done for the class. Everyone’s lives has turned upside down because of the pandemic, including your teachers. So just imagine how tired they are.

The fact that they show up every day trying to make online classes work is a testament to how dedicated they are to their job. Just like us, they probably didn’t want to push through with online classes anyway.

But they’re there.

So if they tell a corny joke or make you do something stupid, just go along with it. Don’t make their life harder than it is. Maybe you can tell them how it isn’t working afterwards, but the important thing is you let them do their job without your cynicism getting in the way.

In short, be nice to your teachers who are adapting to online learning. It’s a great time to practice empathy as we move forward with online classes. The rules have changed, and that means we can’t blame a teacher’s shortcomings (or short temper) on them anymore.

Everyone is living in different circumstances after all. Teachers: they’re people too!

We know online classes can be super taxing! That’s why we prepared some tips on how you can mentally survive them. Never miss out on anything by following us @ZoomersCornerPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Featued Image: Julia M. Cameron on Pexels

The post Adapting to Online Learning: How to Help Out your Teacher in the Pandemic appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

Are you taking online classes from your bed? Here are some easy-to-follow tips to help you improve your productivity at home by making some adjustments to your home office for school. The road to an A+ starts with a conducive work space to do all your serious work!

1. Invest in a comfy chair.

Let’s get the most obvious thing out of the way. You won’t get anything done if you’re adjusting your butt all the time from sitting all day long. Fight your siblings for the most ‘comfortable-but-not-too-comfy’ chair in your house!

Ideally, it should not be hard to the touch nor something without a back rest.

Nobody wants back problems before they’ve reached the age of 25! If you can’t find a chair with cushions, get creative by placing pillows on your back and butt for a cheap DIY solution.

2. Position yourself near the wi-fi router.

Everyone knows that the worst part about Zoom is the fact that we have to deal with poor AF internet connection in the Philippines. Sometimes, we’re just nodding along with whoever’s talking even though we’re actually only hearing chopped-up bits on our end.

Perhaps the worst part of a choppy internet connection is when our video freezes and the other people on the call can take a screenshot of us at our most unflattering!

So to avoid all these mishaps, make sure you’re taking classes as near as possible to your wi-fi router. Get all dem signals!

3. Keep your notebooks on your desk.

This one is for the people who just can’t take proper notes on their computers. And even if you can, it’s difficult to do when half of your screen is being eaten up by your Zoom window.

That’s why we recommend always having your notebooks prepared on your desk. Every time you take them out for a quick review session later, make sure you return them back to your work space.

By doing this, you avoid wasting time looking for your notebook during a class because you don’t know where you had placed it!

4. Have some snacks ready.

Just like school during the good ol’ pre-COVID days, we will probably stay up too late at night and use up all the snoozes in our alarm before actually waking up. In the new normal, this means attending online lectures without washing our face nor brushing our teeth first.

And worse, a 40 to 90-minute lecture at 7AM just means that we are going to have to skip out on breakfast. That’s why you should always have a ready-to-eat snack on your desk! Whether it’s a granola bar or good ol’ Sky Flakes, it’s good to munch on something in these criminally early lectures.

Hey, that’s more reason to wake up in the morning!

If you find yourself snacking too much throughout the day, you can just place one snack on your table every night before going to bed. By doing this, you’ll be able to avoid binge-eating until your last class ends.

5. Change up your light.

Did you know the color of light that you are exposed to is correlated with your productivity levels? Whiter, cooler light helps you focus on the task at hand while warmer light invites a sense of comfort. Even being hit by sunlight alone can already improve your mood and energy!

Consider these when setting-up your home office for school like which room in the house to set-up your work area and where to position your table. You may also want to get a desk lamp where you are able to adjust the warmth of the bulb.

You can even adjust the settings of your computer screen to make sure that you’re getting hit by the right color temperature at the right time of day.

There are apps that can help you do this automatically, with f.lux being the most popular one. It’s available on Windows, Mac, iPhone & Android so make sure you install it all your devices, too!

6. Have essentials ready.

It’s almost flu season in the Philippines, which means waking up to major morning allergy. That’s why a whole roll of toilet paper on your work space is a must!

There are also other things that’s just better to have by your side all the time. A bottle of alcohol for quick hand-cleaning, a handheld mirror for teeth-checking, a cap for bad hair days, and a pitcher of water for when you need to calm your nerves when the teacher is getting angry.

7. Remove the clutter.

Always Marie Kondo your desk from time to time! Not only does a clean environment help you feel that you’re being more productive, but you also reduce the risk of getting distracted.

You might not notice it, but there are times throughout the day when you place something unnecessary on your desk. And if Chekhov’s gun taught us anything, that object is going to be a pretty huge distraction for us later on.

Personally, my number one culprit is the nailcutter that magically appears on my home office desk. When a Zoom lecture gets boring, I absentmindedly reach out for it and start chipping away at my fingernails. Before I know it, all the important things being discussed are over!

For some of us, having a home office for school is a blessing in of itself. However, we do miss the days when we stayed at the library or the coffee shop cramming all our papers.

While not the same, our work space can give us that familiar feeling of productivity again; we just need to know how to arrange it in the best way possible.

You know what’s inevitable even if school is going virtual? Group works! Read about the six types of oddly-specific groupmates here.

Never miss out on anything by following us @ZoomersCornerPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post 7 Easy Tips to Make your Work Space Conducive for Online Classes appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

School’s back, and you know what that means: group projects are making a comeback. Everyone hates it but what can you do? No matter how much you try to avoid it, teachers like to shove them in your face as “practice for the real world”.

Unfortunately, finding the right mix of groupmates is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get!

There are just so many oddly specific types of groupmates that they make us want to volunteer to do a project by ourselves! Here are six of the people in school we have come across so often but never really had a name for… until now.

They love organization, power & being the star of the show. If there’s one thing the Type A Leader loves most in the world, it’s planning everything from start to finish. Because of their superb work ethic, they have built quite the reputation for being the best group leader in class. They might as well have a blinking sign that says “pick me if you want an A”.

Everyone else wants to be partnered up with them… until they actually experience being their groupmate.

If your mediocre-loving ass is paired with the Type A Leader, then get ready to be pushed beyond your limits against your will! Aside from the micromanagement, they get easily angry if you’re a second late with the impossible deadline that they set.

The worst part is that you can’t get mad at them because in the end, they know what’s best for the group!

Rumor has it that this person disappears when you need them most. They are one of the most frustrating types of groupmates; it’s the night before a huge deadline and everyone, and I mean everyone, is on their third cup of coffee working together at 3 AM.

But there’s always someone who’s nowhere to be seen. One who’s never been there from the start and whose presence is only felt because their name is written on the cover page.

“Where is that #@&$!%,” the Ghost’s groupmates all shout in unison.

Were they asleep? Or perhaps they were just getting drunk at the bar? No one knows. That’s why they’re called the Ghost.

If there’s a group project that needs completing, who you gonna call? The Savior!

Nobody actually expects them to contribute because this person doesn’t reply much and is probably super busy with life. In fact, they’re pretty much the Ghost until the very last minute!

This person, who has not even touched the .doc file before, suddenly saves everyone’s collective asses by making major contributions right before the deadline. Over the course of a night, they become the most valuable player of a group project.

And just like that, all their past sins are forgiven. Maybe they were too busy before, or maybe they just enjoy the thrill of passing a project last-minute. But whatever their reason was for being MIA, we are thankful for the Savior’s presence.

Need some tea about how the other group is doing? Or maybe you need some details about what the teacher wants to see on your project? Good thing you have the Spy as your teammate. Their extensive network means that they know how to get the best score for your project.

The Spy is one of the most underrated types of groupmates you’ll have. They are the favorite sidekick of the Type A Leader, who always wants to get the latest scoop about the competition. Because of their natural ability to be shameless and sociable, the Spy always has useful insider info that they’re willing to share the group.

The sweetest words that escape their lips: “the other group hasn’t started yet”.

For whatever information needs you may have, make sure you call on the services of the Spy.

Look, some people just weren’t born to do long research papers; some were born to be artists! When all the boring paperwork is done, it’s time to hand it over to the Designer.

They will make sure to create a beautiful, kick-ass presentation out of a 50-page, Times New Roman 12, double-spaced paper. Powerpoint, Photoshop and Canva are their Holy Trinity. Leave all the aesthetics work to them because no one knows better.

For some, they are a useless groupmate who should’ve just used their energy to do something more “useful”. But for the intellectuals who know how much great visuals can put a presentation over the top, the Designer deserves as much praise as the researchers.

Some people are better off doing the bare minimum than being given huge responsibilities. They are the people who have gotten the reputation of not being good groupmates, or are just too busy with other things.

That’s why the Assistant is delegated the easiest tasks in a group — tasks that are almost impossible to screw up. These include doing the report during class, bringing materials, and printing the paper.

Easy, right? But imagine how pissed you and your groupmates would be if the Assistant managed to screw up the simple task that had been assigned to them. It’s a lot of pressure!

What oddly specific types of groupmates entered your mind while reading this list? Let us know in the comments below!

We’re still trying to accept that we’ll be “back in school” in a few weeks, but the worst part is classes will all be done online! Read about how the school year will feel a lot different with Miss Rona around.

Never miss out on anything by following us @ZoomersCornerPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post There are 6 Oddly Specific Types of Groupmates — Are You One of Them? appeared first on Zoomers Corner.