Many Olathe South students are stressed out and finding it hard to focus and stay organized while learning remotely, here’s what some students are doing to help with the difficulties of online learning. 

While many students preferred hybrid learning to remote, a few of them believe that it is necessary to keep everyone safe, saying that they “don’t like it but it needs to happen” so they “tolerate it.” However online school has its drawbacks, the main things people seem to worry about is how stressful it is and whether students can focus and stay organized while learning from home. 

“It’s stressful for me,” Delaney Schinzel said “it’s exhausting for the fact that I sit at my kitchen table for hours. I don’t move around as much because at school we walk from class to class.”

Staying focused is a valid concern for many students; when you’re in your own house it seems easier to get distracted. Schinzel says that fidgeting with something or doodling helps her pay attention. Remote learning makes it easier to do something with your hands because “you can have something under the table or even on the table that you can fidget with or draw on” without being “a distraction to the rest of the class.”

“I do it because it is a nice distraction that helps me focus, but it also helps me hear what the teacher is saying,” Schinzel said. 

Other students, like Hailey Lancaster, prefer to stay still while learning or doing school work and like to play music while they work.

“To keep myself focused I like to turn on music while I do things,” Lancaster said.

Many are worried about staying organized and keeping track of assignments now that they don’t see their teachers as often. Some people like to be reminded of upcoming due dates, and that can be hard when they only see their teachers every other day. 

“I write down my assignments so that I can remember them, and if I don’t write them down then I have no clue,” Lancaster said. 

Many teachers use Google Classroom to assign work. For students who like to get reminders of when assignments are due, this is a great way to stay organized.

“You can turn on notifications and they can send you emails for when things are due,” Schinzel said “that is also really helpful for me.” 

Many students are feeling overwhelmed with online learning; sitting in your room or at your kitchen table all day staring at a computer may not be everyone’s favorite way to learn. Schinzel finds that going on a walk helps her de-stress after a full day of learning. 

“Even going outside for five minutes on your back porch or patio,” Schinzel said “I feel like just getting away from the technology definitely helps the stress go down a little bit.” 

Going outside might not be for everyone, though. Lancaster says after a stressful day she doesn’t like going on walks because she “doesn’t like being alone.” Instead, she watches Netflix and just decompresses. 

Many students and staff are stressed about remote learning, while no one planned on this being our situation, students are making the best of it.