Changing College Plans Amid COVID-19

We reached out to College Xpress and asked what resources or advice they had to give to graduating high school seniors who were planning to go to college amidst the coronavirus pandemic. They put together a wonderful article and resource.

The article features some of the following topics:

• Defer / admission enrollments

• Taking a gap year

• Options to stay closer to home

• Ideas from experts

Check out the full article here.

Phone Apps for Productivity and Focus

• RescueTime

  • For the computer or phone, RescueTime tracks where you spend your day and helps you manage distraction. Awareness is key!

  • Free Lite version, or $9/month for premium

• Focus@Will

  • Curated music to help you focus and get work done.

  • Free 2 week trial

• Pomodoro

  • There are several apps that use the “Pomodoro” method. It’s a technique that uses a timer to break work down into intervals, with short breaks in between.

    • This simple website will keep track of your time for you so you can focus.

    • This app is available on Apple and Android phones.

• Todoist

  • Set due dates and create tasks to keep your life organized and track progress on your phone or computer.

Apps on blocking apps/internet: Here are a few apps that we recommend for blocking distracting websites or apps when you need to focus.

• Forest

  • Set a timer and plant a tree while staying away from phone distractions.

• AppBlock

  • Block specific apps and notifications on your phone during scheduled times to stay focused.

• Flipd

  • Block all apps and notifications for a set time in order to stay focused and off your phone.

Planner tips and tricks

PLANNERS. Since Elementary School you’ve been encouraged to keep them, but let’s be honest, once the teacher stopped tracking your planner with you, you started getting a little lazy with it. Maybe you even decided it wasn’t for you, and you found your own system of remembering your homework. But then, suddenly, between test and presentations and long-term projects, you’re feeling pretty overwhelmed. Enter: Planner tips and tricks.

Below we have compiled some of our favorite tips and tricks for using a planner. Happy planning!

Write it Down!

• Get in the habit of writing everything down, even if you think you’ll remember it

• “None” rule: if you have no homework in a subject, instead of skipping the planner, write “none.” That way you will know for certain that you have nothing due in that subject.

• Write down big assignments as soon as you know about them – not only the day it was assigned, but on the day it is due as well.

• Use “Backwards Planning” for big assignments. Starting at the due date, work backwards and give yourself mini due-dates to stay on track.

Mark Your Place

• Use binder clips or paper clips so you can easily find the correct page

• If your planner has a monthly page and weekly/daily pages, mark the weekly page and the monthly page so you can flip between the two efficiently

Color Code

• By subject

• By assignment type

• Use your favorite colored pens or highlighters - anything to make planning tolerable (or - dare we say - fun!)

Apply SMART Goal Setting

• SMART goal setting is great for school assignments as well as any goal you’ve set for yourself! It’s a helpful way to set goals and actually follow through with them. SMART is an acronym that stands for:

  • Specific – Answer the following questions:

    • What do I want to accomplish?

    • Why is this goal important?

    • Who is involved?

    • Where is it located?

    • Which resources or limits are involved?

  • Measurable – Answer the following questions:

    • How much?

    • How many?

    • How will I know when the goal is accomplished?

  • Achievable – Answer the following questions:

    • How can I accomplish my goal?

    • How realistic is my goal, based on constraints (money, time, etc.)?

  • Relevant – Answer the following questions:

    • Does this seem worthwhile?

    • Is this the right time?

  • Time-bound – Set a deadline and answer the following questions:

    • When?

    • What can I do six weeks from now?

    • What can I do today?

Decision Matrix

The goal of the Decision Matrix is to help prioritize tasks. It’s helpful to understand the difference between urgent and important tasks. Urgent tasks require immediate attention. Important tasks contribute to long-term goals.

Check it out here:

View fullsize

As you can see from the image, the matrix is broken down like this:

• Urgent/Important Quadrant: Do immediately and personally

• Not Urgent/Important Quadrant: Make a plan to do later personally

• Urgent/Not Important Quadrant: Delegate or ask for help

• Not Urgent/Not Important Quadrant: Drop the task

Try it yourself! Jot down all of your “to-do’s” in a single list. Then categorize each of them in one of these four boxes. Now you have a plan to follow! Good luck!