A day in my learning life
Call it a day in the life of a long-distance learner: Sunlight pours into my bedroom through the half-open blinds. I turn over and glance at my clock: 9:30 a.m. Too early, but then I remember: Office hours begin in 30 minutes.
Awake now, I slip out of bed, put on slippers and brush my teeth. I make breakfast and wolf it down before rushing to my laptop. And yes, I wear pajamas to office hours. Why would I change if I’m not leaving my house?
Office hours are nice — they’re when teachers give lectures, summarize what needs to be turned in for that week and host live Kahoot games. I never thought I’d miss social interaction so much that I’d crave it from Kahoot. But I’ve found that it’s nourishing to talk to both my classmates and my teachers.
After office hours, it’s off to work on the next chapter of the novel I’m writing. Without a lot of homework, I’ve had more motivation and time to do things that I’m passionate about.
Around noon, I wander into the kitchen toward the savory aroma of whatever is on the stove. Home cooking has been a significant improvement from the cold jam sandwiches I used to get every day for lunch.
Google Classroom anchors my afternoons. As usual, I check to see if any assignments are due, and plan ahead. If I have time, I watch a movie, work on a writing contest submission or a few more pages of my novel. Even at home, I continue to do all of my schoolwork to the best of my ability. School has switched to a pass/fail grading system, but that hasn’t lessened my motivation. Instead, I find myself less stressed about deadlines and grades, especially since there’s no more peer pressure.
Yes, every day I miss my classmates, friends, and teachers, as well as the year-end celebrations and competitions that are passing us by. But every night, I go to bed much less worried about my grades, and far happier that I’m finally catching up on years of lost sleep.