Back to School Essentials - Online Edition

Happy start of the school year! My classes started today and man was it exciting to get back into the swing of school. I know this year does not look like the typical school year, many of your classes may be online only thus allowing you to not go to campus. Lucky for me, I have one hybrid class, so I am able to go to school once a week! I want to share with you today some of my essentials for online classes. First I want to start off by talking a little bit about my classes for this fall.

This school year, I will be a Junior Kinesiology major at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. As much as I love my major, it can be so challenging at times, especially this semester with the majority of my core classes being online only. This semester, I am taking Applied Anatomy, Physiology, Medical Terminology, and Physical Activity Epidemiology. These classes are sure to challenge me, but with lots of studying, I know I will do just fine. I have a few essentials to help me this semester that I want to share with you in hopes that they may help you too.

My first essential is obviously a computer! If you have online classes, this is essential to get your requirements done. I have had my macbook pro since 2017 and I have loved it so much! But trust me, you do not need a fancy, expensive computer for online classes, as long as it will run programs you may need, it will be just fine!

My next essential is in no way a must have for everyone. I use my Ipad to take notes and I have for about 6 months now. I currently have the 7th Generation Ipad with 128GB of storage. Let me tell you, I really love taking notes this way. I am able to upload all of my notes to my google drive so that they are easily accessible. I use the first generation apple pencil along with my Ipad and this works flawlessly for me! As long as you have something to take notes on (an Ipad, pen and paper, etc.) you will be set!.

My third essential has helped me so much throughout my online classes in the past. These are my blue light glasses I got from Amazon! I will sometimes get headaches from all the strain of my eyes while looking at a computer for most of the day. These glasses help to reduce my headaches and often allow me to work for longer periods of time. I recommend these to anyone who may work behind a computer for long periods of time.

My fourth essential is sometimes a lifesaver for me! Living with two roommates, sometimes our apartment can get kinda loud when you really need it to be quiet. I love working with my Airpods in if I have to watch a video or jump on a zoom call. They help me hear what I need to and everyone else in the apartment doesn't have to listen to whatever I'm listening to. They're also really great if I want to listen to music while I work and not have the entire apartment hear my music.

My next essential is the most important for me to be able to stay on schedule. My life can get so crazy and hectic and I like to write everything down so I know what I need to be doing. I prefer a physical planner to a digital one, and this Day Designer planner from Target is perfect for me. It has each day on its own page with time slots that allow me to time block my day. I originally looked at the Day Designer Flagship planners on their website but they were $60. I found this Day Designer for Target planner with the same exact layout for $20 and couldn't be happier with it!

My last essential is sometimes hard to find, yet very beneficial! I love having a nice, quiet space to work. I usually work at the desk in my room when I want to get things done without having to speak to anyone. I work best when I am on my own without my phone around and this is perfect for me. When my mom moved, I made sure to get a desk for my new room because I knew I would come home and work some when I had the time, and it is the perfect place for me!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post! If you are currently in school, I wish you the best year yet! I know this school year is very uncertain and can look a little scary, but we can all work together to make it so great!