Adjusting to law school online has been interesting to say the least. At first I was overjoyed to be able to attend class from my bed, but I quickly realized it is HARD to stay motivated at home. I’ve taken online classes before in high school and college, but learning the law online from home is a whole new beast. While these tips are geared toward law students, they could easily also be adapted and applied to college students working from home right now or people working remotely. Hope you find these tips helpful!

1. You need a routine – It is so easy to be lazy while working from home. Planning out your days is absolutely essential right now, and I would suggest planning out your entire day starting from the moment you wake up in the mornings. I will have posts up soon about how I use my planner and how I use Google Calendar to stay organized in law school so stay tuned for those! I suggest creating a time-blocked schedule and a list of your main goals for each day. This will help you stay on track and get everything done.
2. Create separate times in your day for chores – It is so easy when you are home to spend time during the day doing laundry, cleaning, and getting things done around your home. But I think it is best to set aside separate times for these tasks so that they do not take away time from getting your school work done. On the flip side, it can also be easy to let your space get messy when working from home but try not to do this. Especially with being home all of the time now, having a clean and organized is helpful. Plus this is a great time to get some spring cleaning done!
3. Wake up at the same time every day – I have been allowing myself to wake up a bit later than normal since I don’t have to fully get ready or drive to school. But I still wake up relatively early because I know that I am most productive in the mornings. I think that waking up at the same time every morning, whatever time that is best for you, is crucial for staying in a good routine.
4. Get dressed – It is so easy to stay in your pajamas all day when you know you don’t have to leave your house. I don’t put much effort into my outfits when I go to law school, so by no means am I putting in much effort when no one will even see me. But it is important to put on actual clothes to set up your day for success. Something I’ve been doing is wearing workout clothes every day so that I’m more motivated to work out and get moving later in the day.
5. Find an actual workspace – It’s tempting I know, but don’t do everything from your bed. I like to switch up my workspace because I get easily bored, so I will start off at my desk, and then sometimes sit at my counter or couch. My desk is my main workspace and even if you don’t have a desk, try to find somewhere in your house that you can make your designated workspace, and keep this space separate from your relaxing/ sleeping spaces if possible. Also, if you have a second computer or an extra TV monitor you can use this has been very helpful. I will have my video lecture streaming on the extra screen and can use my normal laptop like I usually do in class.
6. Cut yourself some slack – This has been a very uncertain time which can cause a lot of anxiety. While I do believe it is important to stay on a good schedule, I think that sleeping in a bit longer than normal and taking breaks throughout the day is healthy and will help you avoid burn out. Also, there is going to be days where you don’t get everything done that you had planned on, but just know that this is normal and not the end of the world by any means. This will get easier as time goes on.
7. Have Boundaries – If you wouldn’t normally be checking and sending emails during in-person class, don’t do it during online class. Try to behave similarly to how you normally do when school isn’t online!
8. Make time for self-care – Self-Quarantine can be depressing, lonely, and horrible for your mental health. I know this has been something I have personally been struggling with, and I cannot stress enough how important it is to take care of yourself. Try journaling, meditating, online yoga classes (I love Yoga with Adriene on Youtube), doing a face mask, having a glass of wine, whatever it is that helps you relax and unwind.
9. Get moving – I know that it sucks that gyms are closed right now but that doesn’t mean you can’t work out and stay in shape! Check out my post on my favorite at-home workouts here. You can also go for walks/ runs/ bike rides depending on where you live. Something I’ve also been doing is running up and down the stairs at my apartment complex. All of these things are safe just remember to practice social distancing measures. I’ve set a goal to move for at least 30 minutes a day and it really helps keep me sane.
10. Eat healthy meals – It is so easy to snack all day and eat unhealthy meals when you’re home all day and not in your normal routine, but try your best to avoid this. I know that grocery stores have been crazy and you might not be able to buy the same foods as you normally do, but try your best to still be eating fruits and veggies and drink lots of water.
11. Facetime & Phone Calls – This has been keeping me sane. I live alone, and am quite literally alone 24/7 which is just not healthy. I have been making an effort to Facetime a couple of my friends every day and calling my parents. Facetime is the closest thing to hanging out in person and it really does help boost my mood.
12. Take advantage of the extra time – For me, I’m starting this blog, which is something I’ve wanted to do for a while but have always told myself I didn’t have the time for. It can be hard to find the positive with everything happening right now, but try to find ways to fill up the extra time with things you might not normally have time for. Since starting law school I have rarely found time to read for enjoyment but that is something I’ve been doing. You can find a post of my suggested books here. I also have a post of my favorite podcasts here. Start a new Netflix/ Hulu show, journal more, just find things that have made you happy in the past that you started doing less since starting law school and do those things right now when you can.
13. Have an evening/ night routine to wind down – It can be hard to turn off your mind for the day. I’ve found that I will continue doing school work longer than normal but it is important to maintain your boundaries and have some time to relax. This looks different for everyone, but for me I like to take some time at night for yoga and stretching, talking to friends, some tea or a glass of wine, etc.

I hope you guys found these tips helpful! Don’t forget to follow this blog below to get email notifications of new posts!