How do you prepare for the beginning of the semester?  

First thing I do is make folders on my desktop for my classes, and load them with the syllabi, slides, homework, all that jazz, from Blackboard. Next is reading the syllabi. Then, I put the major dates (exams, lab report due dates, homework) into my Outlook calendar. Doing this front-end work makes life easier and makes me feel like I’m getting something done. When I do these things and the semester gets crazy later, I don’t feel like I’m falling behind.  

Any tips for how to have a successful online semester?  

I have to have things written right in front of my face; otherwise there’s a good chance I’ll forget about them. To that end, I have a gigantic whiteboard right next to my desk with day-to-day tasks in three categories: School, Work, and Other. I love my giant whiteboard. I also have my schedule (from freecollegeschedulemaker.com) printed out and taped up right next to my desktop. I really like to have important dates and times right in front of me as this takes me out of the equation of remembering things as much as possible. 

I think some kind of routine is important to avoid feeling like you’re free-floating. I’m a big fan of sleep; sleep is great. Every morning I actually have a Zoom meeting with friends who also wake up early. I try to walk for at least a mile a day; the desert skies and mountains always make me feel good. Especially with COVID restrictions; I have to make doubly sure I’m getting outside every day. 

What did you learn from last semester? 

To use my Outlook calendar! I finally joined the 21st century and ditched the paper planner. Outlook is my absolute favorite because it sends you reminders on your phone and you can set recurring events; and it’s about 1000 times faster to use than a paper planner.