Sticking to the Schedule: Thesis 4/8/20
With the ensuing madness that has been these past couple of weeks, I’ve been finding it quite difficult to keep focused and stay motivated not only with my project, but also with my schoolwork. There are days when I need to force myself to get out of bed in order to complete things I need to get done. There is no doubt that morale has been quite low, but it is extremely important to keep oneself busy with work. Especially during these times when we’re all cooped up inside our homes, it is very important to stick to a schedule to keep yourself out of a funk.
When we started the second half of Thesis this semester, we all made a schedule that we challenged ourselves to stick to. With the situation it definitely is near impossible to stick to our original schedules, but that doesn’t mean that we should abandon them entirely. I would definitely reconsider revising your schedule to fit into your current situation rather than going in everyday blind to what you are going to do.
My new revised schedule is still somewhat similar to my original schedule, but revised to accommodate the new situation of online school. As a matter of fact, this new schedule is actually a lot better for getting work done than I originally had planned. Personally, I actually have quite a bit more time on my hands. More than I would’ve initially thought at first. For starters, I actually gain eight more hours during the week that I can dedicate to work. Normally, I commute to classes and it takes me on average 45 minutes to an hour to get to class, plus an extra 45 minutes to an hour to get back. That’s around two more hours during the day that I would have wasted driving to and from class that can be put to good use. Yes, I would occasionally use that time I had driving to gain more inspiration through podcasts and the sort, but if we’re being honest here, I personally think actually doing work during those two hours is a lot better use of my time. And who said I couldn’t listen to a podcast while I work? The luxury of staying at home has honestly been one of the biggest positives I got during this awful time.
Sleep on the other hand has been one of my biggest challenges when it comes to my schedule. Normally, I would have to wake up at certain times in order to get myself ready to leave for class and the likes. Especially with Thesis, since I would have to leave extra early due to the influx of traffic during the hour. Waking up and getting ready to leave was a part of my routine that would help wake me up and get myself ready for the day. However, all of my other classes start in the afternoon, meaning I don’t have to really waste time driving to my classes and just log on when it starts. And to top it off, I don’t have to wake up extra early for Thesis anymore since I don’t have to sit in traffic to get to class. If you give me the opportunity to sleep in, I’ll always find a way to take it. So lately, I’ve been sleeping in way more than I would like to, which can be somewhat problematic at times if I don’t want to be up very late doing things. Sleep is definitely the thing I need to work on most for my schedule, which just means I need to discipline myself to sticking to a similar sleep schedule like I had for class.
Aside from these two things, my schedule has been relatively the same. While I haven’t been able to go to a gym, I have been running at home and doing workouts that don’t require gym equipment. I often end up doing these at night since I still wake up late, but ideally I would like to do this in the morning from here on out. But aside from the mundane things, sticking to a schedule has definitely helped me stay sane during these trying times. Without it, I’m not too sure if I would be able get my work done very efficiently or even at all. This is why I would urge you all to try and stick to your weekly schedules as much as you possibly could. The last thing we need in our lives is more chaos. And while we may not be able to control everything that’s happening in the world around us, we can always control our daily routines to make the best of the situations we’re all in.
