Have you been attending Zoom University from your bed this past year? Now that “in-person” school’s back in session, what changes will you need to make to your daily routine? What are the types of habits that are going to make you successful?
Me in the Berkeley Hills overlooking the Bay Area!
If these are the questions that you’re wondering, then stick around! I’ll answer everything below and lay out the most effective strategies for achieving your best results this school year at UC Berkeley.
Bzzzzzzz! BEEP! BEEP! Your alarm sounds. It’s 11:59 am and you have 1 minute till your 12 o’clock class. You shut it off and turn on your computer. Zoom starts and you hear your professor talking. This is probably the daily routine of a Zoom University schedule for many of us. Although this seems to be the ideal life of a student, going to school from your bed, it produces long term habits that will negatively impact our daily lifestyles.
In person classes require us to manage our time effectively, accounting for little things that we don’t usually notice. This includes the time spent waking up, brushing our teeth, changing our clothes, and walking to class. In order for us to be on time for class while accomplishing our daily tasks, we need to break things down into increments. With each increment, we set a time hack. For example, if I need to be on campus at 8 AM, then I need to know the exact amount of time it takes me to do everything prior (15 minutes for hygiene, 15 minutes to change and get out of the house, 15 minutes to walk to campus). This time schedule would put my wake up time at 7:15 AM. It’s a set time that I can’t miss. If any of this is delayed, then I will most likely be late. This is TIP #1: Know your Schedule and the Amount of Time you need to do each Task so that You ARE IN CONTROL OF YOUR TIME.
Next up, our main focus is exercise. Because classes have been online for over a year, our leg muscles have barely moved at all. Compared to the journey we made to our refrigerator to grab food, walking on campus to a class will be entirely different especially when we are talking about going to UC Berkeley. Berkeley is full of hills and terrain that have steep slopes. In order to easily transition into this type of environment, one should actively exercise and maintain their fitness. This can be running a mile a day or conducting your own endurance exercise. Think of ways to get your body moving. This will not only benefit your body, but also your mind as well. Getting some fresh air and a change of environment can help reduce stress when studying! This is Tip #2.
Me at a beach in Northern California.
Lastly, the most important thing to remember is to take advantage of what in person classes offer. These can include office hours with your professor to ask questions, study groups in the library, hanging out with your buddies, or just any activity you wanted to do while you were in quarantine.
That concludes my short condensed version of the best tips in transitioning from Online School to In Person Classes!
If you enjoyed this blog post, then please check out my 1st post here as I give you a glimpse of my Cal YouTuber life. If you want to know how I became a YouTuber or how you can become a YouTuber, then this is the blog for you. Please connect with me if you have any questions or additional resources that you would like!
YouTube video of Vincent's 1st day at UC Berkeley (Golden Bear Orientation) (link is external)
Youtube video of Vincent's Life at the College Dorms(link is external)
Youtube video of Vincent at Calapalooza: UC Berkeley Club Day