I've seen several posts recently about students struggling with online school so I decided to share my experience as a 4th year about what has helped me. I have been hesitant to post this because some of these are too obvious and not very original, but I hope they will help at least one person.

Study environment (place and time)

• Having an isolated study environment in your home helps. If you have an area of your house that is not being used (eg. a basement or guest room) this would be a good space to get away from the distraction of having your favorite things around you.
• Consider going to a public library if it is an option. I know it sounds inconvenient to dress up then walk/drive/bus to the area but it is worth it. Once you are there, you will be motivated to study at least a bit so that your effort to go there is not wasted. Also, there aren't any previous associations in your mind with the place and how it can be used (eg. bedrooms are associated with studying AND sleeping AND other activities.... libraries are only associated with studying/reading).
• Schedule interruptions: keep track of what things interrupt you and try to schedule them to be OUTSIDE of your study time. Emails keeping you from studying? only check emails ONCE a day, after you're done studying. Others in your home asking you to do chores? sit down with them to plan chores beforehand.

Using electronics

• Main principle: Instead of controlling yourself around the things you like, eliminate your distractors. The highest achievers are NOT the ones with the highest will-power. They are the ones who put themselves in environments where their will-power is tested the LEAST.
• Website blockers are a lifesaver! I currently use Cold Turkey to block social media (reddit and instagram) from my computer except for 1 hour a day. These apps are not even on my phone. Not having access to these distractors means I don't fight an urge to not use them.
• Block notifications: I know a lot of people struggle with this one because of FOMO or because you don’t want to seem rude when you take a long time to reply to a text. However, if you want to get work done you need to let go of this idea. If anyone really needs you in an emergency they will probably call you. Texts are typically for socialization and socialization can wait until your work is done.
• If your phone is still a big distractor, put it AWAY. Put the phone on do not disturb or turn it off and put it in a different room from you, ideally in a place that is not visible. Alternatively, give it to someone you trust and have them keep it away from you for a certain amount of time.

Tracking progress

• It’s hard to feel like your efforts are paying off if you don’t track what you’re doing. An obvious choice is a calendar that includes all of your deadlines or a personal planner that fulfills the same function. One thing you might have not yet considered is tracking your study time and not just the tasks you completed. I have used many apps for this and can recommend two of them.
• Tide: this app is by far the simplest one I have ever used. You set a timer of the length that you want and let it run as you work. You can do multiple sessions at different lengths. When you’re done at the end of the day, it will record the amount of time that you dedicated to working and how many sessions the work was split across. You can go back through previous days logs and see how many hours you worked/studied each day. Pros: very simple and easy to use. Cons: can’t track time spent on different tasks.
• Focus to do: this one is a more advanced app if you want to divide your tracking across different projects. I use the chrome extension version of this app and set up different projects with different sub tasks and I’m able to track how many hours I spend per task which is helpful for tracking progress on bigger, more complex projects. Pros: can set up different project and many tasks and track progress on each one. Cons: takes time to set up a project/task list.

Other things

• Snacks: when you’re studying avoid snacks that force you to look away from your work and fumble around trying to eat them without making too much of a mess. Drinks are fine because they’re not distracting (use ones with a lid to avoid spills). With food, avoid anything that can dirty your hands/table so you won’t have to get up from your chair each time to clean up.
• Music: depends on what task you are doing and how much attention it requires! There is no one correct answer for this one. I would suggest to avoid listening to anything with lyrics and avoid entirely if it is too distracting. Things like piano music, rain sounds, or video game music are options that I know of.
• Small things to make studying more pleasant: lighting a candle or having string lights beside you, putting on perfume or cologne, changing clothes, having some plants around you, studying beside a window, studying quietly in the presence of someone else who is studying, a nice hot drink or a favourite snack, changing your computer background, changing your chrome theme ... etc.

Feeling overwhelmed

• If you are at a point where a lot of work has piled up and you’re feeling anxious and overwhelmed trying to keep up with all of it, reach out to your professors because they can and often will help. You can get a day or two extension for your labs and papers even if you have already used your MSAF. You just need to ASK, even if you are worried it is too late to do so. Many professors will give extensions to students who ask respectfully and explain (not personal details needed) why they have fallen behind.
• Reach out to the Student Wellness Centre to access their counselling and other mental health services. McMaster services are not perfect, but they come at zero additional costs for full-time undergrads and they can set you up with appointments and help you through your struggles. Currently you can access counselling online (phone or video call) and this service continues throughout the summer.