Tips and tricks with Trinity: advice for HSC students

When you really think about it, digital engagement and collaboration are key skills needed in the workforce and, by going through this, you will be more prepared than ever before. You will need the skills to work productively online and participate as a valuable member of virtual communities - so why not start now?

1. First and foremost, you should treat this as a normal school day! It may be tempting to sleep in and relax, but effective learning starts with a proactive, disciplined attitude and approach. So set an alarm, get up at the usual time, eat a healthy breakfast and get organised for the day.
2. Limit distractions and set yourself up in a productive work and study space if possible. This should be a different set-up than where you would normally play games or watch television. Keep your area neat and tidy and make sure you have everything you need sitting right in front of you. At home, we suspect the fridge might be your biggest distraction and we aren't going to tell you not to snack - but consider putting them on your table instead.
3. Take advantage of your school's home learning resources! Tune into daily Zoom lessons or video recordings of your lessons, engage with online tutorials and touch base with your teachers and support staff. It's an unprecedented time and we're all here for you.
4. Maintain breaks such as lunch and recess. Routines and schedules are wired into our brains and you will function best if you stick as closely to your normal routines as possible!
5. Remember to set small goals along the way. Motivation levels can drop if you have no goal in sight or if it still seems too far away, so set yourself a small goal each day or week with checklists and tick them off once achieved.
6. Don't forget this is a new scenario and you are allowed to make mistakes. What is important is that you learn from them and keep going. Be patient with yourself, your teachers and your families because we're all in this together.
7. Look after yourself. If your school offers pastoral care online, don't forget this is the perfect time to share how you are feeling with your classmates and teacher - because other people are most likely feeling the same way too!
8. Last but not least, don't forget about the other things in life - fresh air and sunshine, exercise, reading books you love, playing board games, listening to music and spending time with your family. It is always very important that you control or manage your screen time, however, this is especially true when learning from home.