Yeah…last month was crazy and pretty much derailed all my plans and backup plans. As my friend Stellah said, “who has a contingency plan for a pandemic?” I’ll talk more about that in my March reflection section, but in terms of my goals, I didn’t look at them after the first week. I have made the most of my time in self-isolation thus far, but most of my original goals didn’t get accomplished. Now that online classes have started, I’m ready to get my life back on track, so I set a lot of goals for the month of April. Let’s get into it.
//How I Did On My March Goals//
Last Month’s Posts – My March Goals | 2020 Powersheets
Original Goals
- Enjoy Your Last Semester – I had one week on campus last month and I’m happy to say I enjoyed it. I sang in a concert, hung out with my friends, splurged on coffee and a pastry to study in a coffee shop for a few hours…it was a nice week. I’m kind of sad because I had this whole list of things I wanted to do in Athens before I graduated, and now I can’t do it. At least not in the same way since I moved out two weeks ago.
- Do Well In All My Classes – Again. I had one week of class, then Spring Break. They postponed classes for two weeks after that, so my online classes didn’t start till the last two days of March.
- Complete RBT Certification Course – I made progress on it, but I didn’t complete it. Too much on my mind. I honestly forgot about it in all of this mess and only really started doing it again last week.
- Make Itinerary & Document Spring Break Trip – I canceled my trip to New York the day before my flight, and things escalated very quickly after that. The entire city was on lockdown by the end of my Spring Break.
- Publish 6 Blog Posts – Complete.
- Finish 7 Books – 5/7. This was surprisingly difficult. Normally, I read on the bus and listen to audiobooks on my walks to class, so it’s been harder to preserve my reading habit at home.
- Work Out 4-5 Days Per Week – I don’t have access to a gym anymore, and I don’t like working out at home. I’m slowly getting back into it. I’d say I worked out 2-3 times a week in March, which isn’t awful.
- Journal Once A Week – Complete. I had to remind myself to do this because I want to document this time to read back on in a few years. There are nine journal entries from March.
//My April Goals//
//Study For And Take The GRE
You can take the GRE online now. There’s a proctor that watches you via webcam while you do it at home. I’ve already registered to take it this weekend and have been studying very rigorously. I’m not super worried about it because I’ve scored relatively high on all the pre-tests I’ve taken, but I still need to study. It was easier when I had nothing to do, but now I have to balance it with my online classes.
//Create A Study Routine & Finish All Assignments On Time
AKA, Graduate. I still have one month of classes left and this would’ve been the busiest month of the semester anyway, even without the extra work from the lost two weeks in March. I’ll get by. The first day of online classes was really overwhelming because the professors were still figuring out their online system and have assigned a lot of work. I don’t have any Zoom lectures, so the rest of the exams and assignments for the semester are based on self-studying.
I’ve gotten all my assignments organized, so they feel much more manageable now, but creating a study routine is going to be the hardest part. I have a really hard time getting work done when I’m at home, which is why I would finish the majority of my work while on campus. People are always calling me to do something, and I end up playing with my brother or watching T.V. I honestly get the most work done at night when everyone is asleep. The problem is that I don’t like staying up late and don’t have the ability to wake up early. It hasn’t been too bad so far because I’ve been completing things in bits and pieces throughout the day, but I can do better.
//Finish Essays Early
I have four papers due this month. I would like to finish them early so that I don’t have to worry about them later on or panic last minute.
//Create At-Home Workout Routine That Actually Makes Me Sweat
I keep mentioning this in all my posts, but I don’t work out as efficiently when I’m at home. I’ve been using the elliptical and lifting weights but haven’t really established a concrete routine. I would like to do that this month.
//Finish 7 Books
It would be great if I could surpass that, but seven books seem like a realistic amount for me to read right now in between all the school assignments and applying for jobs.
//Apply For Two More Jobs
My original goal was to apply for one job per week, per my cousin’s advice, but this month is not a good month for that. I want to put all my extra time into studying for the GRE, then I’ll probably be in finals mode. Job applications are so long and tedious (something I very much experienced last month) and I want to put a good amount of effort into each one. I can apply for two more in the month of April.
//Look Up Online Graduate School Programs
I have no idea how long this quarantine is going to last. My original plan was to work in a hospital or clinic setting, but that definitely isn’t safe to do right now. I hadn’t planned on going to graduate school for at least another year, and I had a specific program in mind, but if I can find an online one through another university, I’ll try for that. I doubt I’ll find one though since most applications are already closed. If push comes to shove, I can get an MBA online so that this time isn’t completely wasted. (The main goal is still to start a job once this is over)
//Paint Once A Week
I bought a bunch of watercolor paints a few weeks ago to use for fun. If there’s any time to indulge in hobbies and learn a new skill, it’s now.
//Schedule 1 Blog Post Per Week In Advance
After this, I will schedule Tuesday’s post in advance, then try to become at least one week ahead of schedule by the end of the month. I posted twice a week for the last few weeks of March, but I don’t think that’s feasible in April. I’ll probably get back to it in May.
//Journal Once A Week
This is pretty self-explanatory.
//Call Or Text Someone Every Other Day
I’ve been really good about staying social and keeping up with people these last few weeks. It’s honestly the reason I haven’t gone completely insane. I probably won’t do it as frequently as I first did now that my classes have started, but I know how important it is to keep in contact with other people and actually hear their voices.
//March Reflection//
This month was weird, so I’m just going to break it up into sections to talk about it.
Week 1 // March 1-7, 2020
The first week of March was a completely normal week. At the time, it was super busy since I had five huge assignments and tests in the first two days, and was singing in a concert that Tuesday. I got everything done before the concert then went to rehearsal. None of us knew that it would be our last concert this semester since our big concert was supposed to be in April. Both my parents were able to come, which is pretty rare. If you have a special needs sibling, you understand. For most of my life, there was usually only one parent present at my brother Zidan’s or my soccer games or concerts because one of our parents would have to stay home with our other brother, Mysoon, who has autism. I was in talent show twice in high school, and my dad went the first year then my mom went the second year. Anywho, both of them were able to come, which was nice considering I go to university over an hour away. (They were late, but they showed up in the middle of the first song).
The rest of the week was pretty chill. The Wednesday after I was done with everything, I had planned on going out, but ended up video chatting with my friend Briah for four straight hours while she was studying abroad in Spain (Unfortunately, her program was cut short and she had to return to Atlanta), and we were both like “we should do this more often!” If only we knew…
That was really fun. I hung out with my friends, wrote a blog post in the Starbucks at the student center, enjoyed the rain… It had been raining a lot the first few months of the year. Someone mentioned to me that he read that we hadn’t had four straight days without rain since Christmas, which completely checks out. It started getting sunny again once Spring Break started.
But yeah…things were good. Someone on Facebook wrote about how they didn’t appreciate the normal days of being late to class because of the bus and standing out in the rain and how they wished they could go back to that time. I’m happy about how I spent my last few weeks. I went out to eat at restaurants, which I almost never do. Whenever I missed the bus and had to stand out in the rain, I didn’t mind it. I’m glad that I don’t have any regrets about my last few weeks in college.
Week 2 // March 8-14
I was originally supposed to go to New York for Spring Break, from Tuesday, March 10th to Saturday, March 14th. That was around the time things had started escalating in New York. My parents had been worried about me going and were pestering me to cancel the trip. I was thinking about canceling it anyway seeing how things were in the news but didn’t decide anything till my aunt in New York called and told me I shouldn’t go. I’m glad I canceled because New York was on lockdown by the end of the week. I canceled the flight the day before I was supposed to go. I didn’t get a refund, but I have a credit that I have to use within the next three months. (I don’t have to travel in the next three months, I just need to books something for a later date.) Airlines have probably extended that now.
I was disappointed about the trip, but not too disappointed since I’ve been to New York many times before. When I told my friends about canceling the tickets, it seemed pretty premature at the time, but things changed super quickly. My mom and I went to Costco to get groceries that Wednesday and it was packed. The cashier told me that it had been busier than Christmas for weeks. My brothers and I went to the movies that day to watch Onward and the theatre was very empty (mainly because it was a school day). The movie theatre is right next to Sam’s Club and Costco where the parking lots were packed, and I remember the ticket seller and I laughed about how the theatre was safer than Costco “the most dangerous place in America.”
Classes were postponed for two weeks that day. We had gotten an email that the university was going to stay open, then a few hours later got another email that said classes were going to stay postponed. My family has pretty much been in self-isolation since then. I drove back to my dorm to grab my textbooks that Saturday. Everyone was supposed to vacate the dorms for two weeks post-Spring Break. That was a nice 2-hour drive. My brother came with me, but he’s not much of a talker :)) We grabbed some Starbucks through the drive-through on the way there and Popeyes on the way back. I listened to an audiobook the entire time. It was great.
Nothing else happened that week. We all stayed in the house and self-isolated. At that point, there was still some hope that things would get back to normal after two weeks. My family and I went on a drive one night since we hadn’t left the house in a few days and we stopped by my old high school. I hadn’t been back since I graduated. We just ran around and didn’t touch anything. I loved high school but never felt the need to visit again. It was still nice.
Week 3 // March 15-21
College was officially canceled for the rest of the year. I cried for a few minutes after getting the email, then booked a move out date. I talked more about that in this post, but basically, I was just sad about all the little things I’ll miss out on and was overwhelmed about the lack of transition. Some people have been total assholes to seniors about it because there are bigger things to worry about, but jeez, you can be sad about more than one thing at once. I have the ability to be sad about people dying while also being sad about my graduation being canceled, my friend’s study abroad being cut short, and another friend losing her internship. There isn’t a monopoly on loss or sadness. My brother and a few of my cousins are in their senior year of high school, and now they won’t get to enjoy senior week or prom. I articulated it better in the original post:
“I’ve pretty much processed today that even though I have a few college credits online, this entire phase of my life is over. There were no parties or hugs goodbye or move-out dates or graduation ceremonies. There was a see-you-soon, and I never went back (aside from that one day where I picked up some of my stuff.) Today would’ve been my first day back after spring break, and before the announcement, I was thinking, “I had plans today.”
I dunno. It sucks, but there are worst things in the world. Based on social media, I’m not the only one who is sad, and it’s okay to feel that way. It’s okay to be wistful about missing out on a life transition that you didn’t expect to miss out on. I’ve enjoyed the bit of the last semester I’ve had so far, but I wish I had more.”
I think it’s important to feel sad about things. I always process my emotions then move on. I haven’t really felt upset about the big things that have changed this year and the canceled trips since then. I processed that, then moved onto the small things like “the Renaissance Festival will probably be canceled this year” or my friend can’t come over every Friday to watch Avatar: The Last Airbender. I was talking to her on the phone that week and I told her that I was sad about it, and she said, “Me, too! I didn’t want to say anything because it’s such a small thing compared to what you’re going through, but I really look forward to that every week!” It was really the small things that stayed with me after processing the bigger things. I’ve processed all of that since then and feel kind of despondent. I’m focusing on what to do next rather than what I missed out on.
I moved out of my dorm on Thursday March 19th, and literally haven’t left the house since. I went on walks before that, but the pollen count has been so high that it’s not worth going outside (I have severe environmental allergies). My dad and I moved out really quickly (It only took us 40-minutes), and I remember thinking about one of my neighbors for the last two years and how we’d always knock on each other’s doors and walk away every time we passed each other’s dorm because of an inside joke from last year. It was another one of the little things I’ll miss.
Week 4-5 // March 22-31
I spent the last two weeks being productive, applying for jobs, talking on the phone, etc. I bought a bunch of paint and craft stuff to do while in quarantine, which has been fun. I’m happy that I don’t feel as isolated as I thought I would. I’m being good about calling my friends and keeping busy. Two of my family members in New York passed away because of COVID-19 last week, and we’ve all been sober because of that. It’s been frustrating that so many people haven’t been taking this seriously and are still going out despite this pandemic affecting billions of people.
Being quarantined with someone with autism has been its own struggle. Mysoon is handling this a lot better than we thought he would. We’re glad he’s eating because this would have been a much larger problem a year ago. We’re being extra cautious because he’s at a higher risk and we can’t risk my brother being sent to a hospital alone. That’s quite literally not a possibility and hospitals don’t allow family members to go with infected people.
Classes started up again on March 30th and that’s what I’ve been doing since then. The last month of the semester is the most difficult, and your girl still has to graduate, so I’m trying to keep up with the work while studying for the GRE. Last week was stressful since all the professors were still figuring everything out, but this week should be calmer.
That’s it for now. Until next time!
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What are some of your goals for this month? How are you doing?
Hey! I was wondering whether you could do a post on how to uk make a study schedule and stick to it or being productive. I have assignments to complete and I struggle cz i keep postponing it. Ur posts have been really helpful. Its just a suggestion. ?
Great suggestion! I’ve also been having trouble staying productive with classes, but I’ve been working past it. I have a post about keeping up with online classes coming out on Tuesday. I’ll add something about creating a study schedule there. I’m glad my posts have been helping you ?