Like many of us, this year I’ve had to be my main teacher and classmate. I must say, the work of teachers and counselors from the high school has been really helpful. However, as a fully virtual student who learns on platforms that rely on my output (work that needs to be turned in), the degree by which I need to be open and in active search for input ( information and learning resources), has definitely increased from years prior. During this time I’ve compiled a set of tips and resources that not only keep me interested in what I am learning, but also create entertainment that is interesting and fun, prompting me to tap into my curiosity and learn well past the lesson of the day. Here I will share 3 tips and 6 learning resources that have helped me and entertained me. I hope you check them out and they help you too.

Three Tips

1. Routines

We are not machines. It is really hard to sit and start being effective students. So, we need to slowly signal to our brain that it is time to work before you start, or that it is time to rest when you finish. I am a big fan of music, so I would suggest playing the SAME song every day for a month or so, while doing a similar task. For example:

• Start routine: Wash your face or make a cup of your favorite morning drink as you listen to a song that helps you feel excited. I recommend “Run Away With Me” by Carly Rae Jepsen or “Doo Wop (That Thing)” by Ms. Lauren Hill.

• Finish routine: Brush your teeth or get a snack while you listen to a song that calms you down. I recommend “Hideaway” by Jacob Collier or “Alaska” by Maggie Rogers.

2. To-Do Lists

This is relatively self explanatory. However, as someone that at one point had to learn through 4 different platforms, here are some tricks:

Make it on a piece of paper! This can be a post it or a reused flashcard. I know you can do this online but I found that after a day of looking at my screen, checking off all I could crumbling a small piece of paper is one of the most satisfying things I could do. Also, note that I said all you can do. It is easy to feel disappointed when not all of the boxes are checked off. Remember, as long as you are trying your best, you are being effective.

Know your limits! Experiment to see how much you can do during a study session. For me it is around 2-3 tasks. Then, when doing your to-do list, set the limit for daily tasks at that number. It will help you feel accomplished and stay motivated in learning. 

Use the 1% rule! Sometimes it might feel like no matter how much we do, we keep falling behind. Something to keep in mind is that everyday we progress a little bit towards our goal. Every day try to focus on doing or learning one thing. That can be understanding a chapter we need to read or improving how we write the abstract for a lab in a science class. With that in mind we can write it at the top of our to do list and at the end of the day see if we did it. As long as you learn one thing every day, you will be expanding your understanding immensely.  

3. Breathe, Water, Food, Sleep, Clean

Things will naturally get tough; we get sleepy, overwhelmed and find it hard to focus. One thing I’ve found that always helps is going over this list “breathe, water, food, sleep, clean.” No matter how off you feel. Odds are, taking a deep breath, drinking a glass of water, eating a snack, taking a nap or cleaning your space will help you feel a bit better :) 

YouTube Channels

Ted-Ed (Crash Course & Khan Academy)

One of the best resources I've found to understand and learn new concepts is Ted-ed videos. I knew of Ted Talks but I had never paid much attention to these. They are short, excitingly animated videos that explain one specific concept. I have used them to understand Hamlet for English and to show neurotransmitters for AP Psychology. The other two, Crashcourse & Khan Academy, I feel are pretty popular and help most people understand what is going on in class, still worth mentioning. If you are struggling with something, a subject, type that on YouTube and a video from one of these three will definitely help you a lot.

Here is my favourite TedEd video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B10pc0Kizsc 

Vox

There are few things I love more than Vox’s YouTube channel. They explain all sorts of topics from covid related issues to everyday questions like “why are we lonely?” Or “why are bird nests always clean?”. They make complex issues like foregin policy and the dark consequences of tech understandable, giving the viewer a sense of empowerment. I remember the first video I saw of them included the first authentic interview with people affected by a foraging policy issue, something I had never seen before. As well they explain music from Travis Scott to Stevie Wonder to Bach in an approachable way. Their use of simple illustrations and explanations on simple terms makes every topic approachable inspiring you to explore it further. My personal favorite series of videos are “Vox Borders” by Johnny Harris. Here he explores the complex relationships in borders or frontiers between countries. Episodes feature the Border between Haiti and Domenican Republic, Colombia and Venezuela, Japan and North Korea, among others. Also, they made a series for Netflix called “Explained, __” that is very very good and that you can also find on YouTube.  

Headspace

To focus, we need calm. A good way to find calm and focus is mediation. Headspace is a famous meditation and mindfulness app. Their YouTube channel features short meditations, hours of music designed to help you either focus or sleep and interviews where the owner, Andy answers questions like “how to deal with change?” or “how to live without regret?” If you are interested in meditation but don’t know where to start I would suggest the “Meditate with me” series. In it, different comedians listen to a meditation and give their realistic thoughts, making it approachable and highlighting that meditating doesn’t mean erasing our thoughts. 

Podcasts

Podcasts are like audio entertainment on demand. They are a nice way to be exposed to something new quickly. All of the ones I will mention are free to the link I add, however you can find them on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or all the other Podcast apps.

Ologies with Alie Ward: In every episode Alie interviews an expert in a specific field. They range from experts in dogs or scorpions to experts in food, space or history. Alie’s enthusiasm highlights the exciting and fascinating about every topic. She explains the basics using analogies that allow everyone to leave with some understanding. My two favorite ones are "Somnology (SLEEP)" with Dr. W. Chris Winter where he explains the sleep stages and gives tips to improve your sleep and "Molecular Neurobiology (BRAIN CHEMICALS)" with Dr. Crystal Dilworth where I learned how neurotransmitters work in the brain. This episode made me realize that I want to study the brain in college. You can go to the topics page here and search for any topic that interests you, I’m sure you’ll find an interesting episode.

NPR’s Life Kit: I always thought that NPR was something very odd to listen to. However, this podcast convinced me otherwise. It features short interviews with experts as they tackle everyday questions such as: “How Solitude Can Improve Your Mood” or “5 Steps To Shake The Feeling That You're An Impostor.” These episodes are short and help you find answers to things you might be struggling with or tips on things you can improve. I like to listen to one while I am doing a chore and need to get out of my head.

Song Exploder by Hrishikesh Hirway: This podcast is manly for entertainment. As I mentioned above, I am a big music fan. One of my favourite things about music is the behind the scenes stuff. How did he come up with that melody? Why did they write those lyrics? What inspired her to write that part? These are questions that are answered in this podcast. Episodes feature Billie Eilish’s “everything I wanted” and the song I mentioned earlier, Maggie Rogers' “Alaska,” among others. Hirway does a really good job of choosing a diverse array of musicians, so odds are you’ll find someone you are familiar with. The podcast goes through the making of a song with the artist where they explain how it was done bit by bit. At the end he plays the whole song. This gives the listener the chance to see a deeper meaning with the expanded understanding from the episode. If you have Netflix he has 8 episodes where he sits down with the artists and they go in a bit more depth, highly recommended.

I hope you found something helpful. Remember progress happens bit by bit. If you have any questions or want some more tips don’t hesitate to reach out.