Week 13

1. Letters from students and professors

Dear Professor,

We never could have imagined that this would happen. Our semester was cut short and now we feel like we have to finish it out on our own. Not only did we lose the face to face interaction that being at school offered, but we also lost seeing friends and some of us lost living away from the distractions of home life. This is a hard and confusing time as we have never had to face taking classes online that were meant to be run face to face. We want you to know that as much of a stress as it is for us, we understand this is stressful for you too. We know that this is not the ideal situation for you and that like us, you have never lived through this type of situation. Throughout this time you have dedicated so much of your attention to ensuring that we are okay, and have understood the stresses we face aside from normal class stress. Thank you for being there for us as a professor and putting so much of your attention into making the transition to online classes as best as you can make it. 

From,

Your Students

Dear Students,

We never knew this would happen, and although you feel as though you are alone in this you are not. We are all in this together. As professors, we are doing everything in our power to ensure that you continue to succeed in your courses. We are attending zoom meetings with our fellow faculty to learn how to approach different things that may occur as well as being flexible to what problems you may face from being at home. We only ask that you continue to be honest with us and not feel embarrassed by situations that may be affecting you turning in assignments on time. Over this time, we are beginning to understand what works best for our students for the future as well. This is stressful for everyone, but we are here for you in these times to try and alleviate some of your stress. Please continue to help us too by communicating what is working well and what we can do better as we are here to learn.

From,

Your Professors

2. Motivating things

These times may make you feel overwhelmed and stressed with the amount of work you have to do. With this stress and no face to face interaction from classes, it can cause you to be unmotivated. In order to stay motivated you must not overwork yourself and find time to do other activities that will relax your mind. 

1. Go outside

By going outside, you can relieve stress. It is much like the saying, “a breath of fresh air.” Being outside has been shown to boost creativity and improve concentration and your mental health. So there’s no reason for you not to be outside (unless it is raining or bad weather, of course). 

2. Listen to music or watch a movie

While doing homework, you can listen to music which helps you concentrate and stay on task. You can also just listen to music when you want to relax. Another thing to help take a break is watching a movie. You could even schedule a time to watch a movie with a friend over video chat or on Netflix they have the party extension, where you can watch a comment while your friend watches on their end. 

3. Learn something new

Learning something new could be learning a new recipe, language, instrument or anything you have wanted to do. This is the time to teach yourself something new that you have been putting off. Here is a link to a list of new things to learn and videos or classes to do in order to learn them.  https://www.developgoodhabits.com/new-skills-to-learn/

4. More ways to get motivated

Some other ways to motivate and relax your mind are playing a board game, doing a puzzle, journaling, reading a book and organizing something. There are even more activities you can do which you can find in this link https://www.mydomaine.com/things-to-do-when-bored

I have also started illustrating and creating layouts for my pages.

Week 12

Here is my first three articles:

Magazine Name: The Quarantine Chronicles: College Student Edition
I will be designing my publication around educating everyone of the struggles professors and students each go through. I also want to focus on constantly motivating the reader (or student) to organize themselves while relaxing their mind.
 1. Student Quotes:The transition from in person schooling to online is hard especially when you have to manage living at home amongst other struggles. Here are some quotes from a variety of students on how quarantine has impacted them.
 “The biggest way quarantine has affected me is feedback wise. I can’t see my friends and ask for feedback on designs or figure out new things from being in a room filled with creative people.” Kristen, senior Graphic Design major

“I have been challenged with problem-solving in ways I never imagined for my metals studio. It is basically a “work-with-whatever-you-have” scenario since I’m limited in what I can do and what supplies I have available. I really miss the ability to be in the physical studio surrounded by classmates and my professor- it is hard to keep the creative motivation.” Hannah, junior Art Education major

 “My experience is really hard. I’m not getting the training I need to pursue my major. I feel like professors are doing the best they can but to me it seems like just busy work and nothing to forward my learning.” Sam, sophomore Television and Video major 

“I am having trouble analyzing primary sources for projects because I can’t print them and annotate them. It is difficult to internalize information through solely online mediums.” Michaela, junior History major 

“Online classes are really hard, because at home it is hard to stay focused. At home I am on break mode, since every time I am home it is break so it is hard to motivate myself.” Diya, sophomore Public Health Major

“I am temporarily out of a job and I am responsible to pay for my housing and food since I live off campus which causes me stress” Meghan, junior Multidisciplinary Studies Major (I plan to receive more quotes, so if you are reading this from the class feel free to respond with how quarantine has impacted you)

2. Tips and Tricks on Staying OrganizedOnline schooling at home means there is no more in person classes to remind you what is due. Due to this new reality, many students struggle to stay on top of what is due or just how to organize dates for multiple classes, so they do not miss an assignment.
Here are some ways to organize your assignments:

1) Use Syllabus
The syllabus lays out all of your assignments for the rest of the semester. If you do not have the syllabus then make your own from the assignments the professor has provided. By printing the syllabus, you have the ability to cross things off and highlight important assignments or ones due that week. If you cannot print out your syllabus then screenshot it or save it onto your desktop and label it based off of which class it is for.

2) Make a List
If a syllabus isn’t the way to go then create a list of assignments. You can do this by creating word documents on your computer and then inserting all the dates of each class. Then create a section on the top of your document that is labeled “this week” for assignments that you have due. Instead of typing, you can write a list for what is due the rest of the semester and then a list each week for the assignments that are due.

3) Use a Planner
If you are a visual person then either print or create a calendar to write in all important dates and assignments. This can help you visualize things better as the days go by. You can also use an online planner such as myHomework, Todoist or Trello.

4) Set Aside Time to Do Work
Online schooling is not just about organizing your assignments, but also about organizing your time. Make a schedule for yourself just as you would at school and set aside time for schoolwork as well as breaks. This will help you stay accountable for your studies!

5) Ask Questions
It is always important to ask questions, especially in times like these! Do not be afraid to ask your professor questions if you are unsure of when an assignment is due. Who knows maybe everyone has the same question and is too afraid to ask?

3. Tools and Resources to Use Online Online learning means that it is up to you to learn the material for class. Sometimes students need a little extra help, so here are some ways to get that extra assistance.

Note-Taking Tools:
OneNote or Evernote- Allows you to interact with multiple pages at a time while never running out of space. With OneNote you can put in pictures, videos and charts and organize all your notes into sections or tabs. You can use OneNote to make a list of your assignments or to type up notes that you might take during Zoom classes for future exams. Evernote works the same way as well.

Study Tools:
Chegg Study or Quizlet- These apps can help you study for your exam, by providing flashcards and other tools.
myNoise- For anyone who has a loud household, this app can help in creating sounds to your preference that will be less distracting and more calming while you are studying.

Tutoring Tools:
Varsitytutors.com- If you need more help in a subject this website can provide one-on-one tutoring designed to your learning style. There are also online options that can accomodate to the individual’s schedule.
University tutor- Check your University's website as they may still be providing tutoring options for online.

Here are my pictures of my thumbnail sketches:
I played around with different elements and might include a subtle pattern throughout the publication. I also want to include quotes throughout to motivate the reader.

Week 11

50 Word POV and (5-7 Article Titles):

For my digital publication design, I want to focus on the college student during quarantine and different tips and tools to help them continue being successful both mentally and physically (with school). As I have been in quarantine for a few weeks, I have found ways to organize my assignments, use online resources, see different sets of online teaching from professors and much more. Academically, I feel like college students are affected the most by these recent events that this publication might assist in giving college students (like me) an easier way to transition into online schooling.

1. Student Quotes
In this article I would have a compiled list of quotes from different students. These would be a variety of students such as students who need to physically be in class (studios, labs, etc.), commuters, people who are still living at school and people who are fully at home surrounded by their whole family. I want to include this variety so the reader can understand different types of students that are impacted and how they are impacted.

2. Letter to Professor (from student)*
This letter would be from a student to a professor or it could just be an article for professors to know what a student needs to help them with online learning. It is hard for professors who are not online to translate their curriculum to online, so by student's writing their point of view a professor can understand how to help.

3. Letter to Student (from professor)*
This letter would be from a professor to a student or again it could just be an article for professors. This is to help students understand why professors are making different decisions or how the situation is effecting them. Again this would be good for a student to better understand why a professor is structuring the class the way they are.

4. Tips and Tricks on How to Organize Assignments
This article is to help students better organize their assignments. I have found that it is hard to stay on top of every assignment I have since you are not consistently reminded in class of what is due.

5. Tools and Resources to Use Online
I have found multiple programs and tutoring programs that are good resources to help with different assignments. This article would explain some different tools to help learn more about a certain subject for students that need extra help.

6. How to Stay Motivated*
This article is to help student's learn how to stay motivated. This has definitely been a struggle for me over the past few weeks, but I have found different ways to keep myself motivated through this time whether its through friends, taking breaks, sitting outside to do homework, etc.

7. Other Activities to Relax the Mind*
This time is not about primarily doing homework, students also need to have ways to relax. This article would explain different things you can do around the house to get your brain working in a different way or just relax your mind after working on homework for hours.

* Questions 2 and 3 could be combined, as well as 6 and 7