These last few weeks have shown me what it feels like to be homeschooled and I have to say, I’m not a fan. As much as I give out about having to get up every morning and go to school, I’m starting to realise how lost I’d be without it if I had to learn everything at home. My kitchen table is a mess with books, I’m constantly being given chores to do.

I’ve never received so many emails in my life from teachers

So realistically, I’m probably doing an awful lot less work than I’d like to believe. Every two minutes, it’s: “Go light the fire” or “Take out the bins”. And even when I’m alone, the sound of the tractor in the field next door cutting the grass is enough for me to lose focus.

I’ve never received so many emails in my life from teachers telling me to catch up on certain chapters or write out the next sraith pictiúr, I know that we do twice the work I’m doing at home during the school week but the fact that I need to motivate myself to do it makes it even harder.

I’m starting to think my excuses are getting better though

It’s a bit weird to be looking at my phone for so long to check Google Classroom for the next update or be typing in Google Docs for an hour. My mam keeps walking past and leaning over my shoulder to make sure I’m not just on Instagram for hours on end.

No matter how hard I try, I can never seem to start studying when I say I will, going to bed at night I have all the alarms set so that I’m up and ready to start working at nine on the dot but every morning without fail I’ve started at half nine or later. I’m starting to think my excuses are getting better though, every time I start late I just tell myself: “Ah but sure I had to feed the dogs.” Or something that makes me feel I haven’t been procrastinating all morning.

My maths class even went on a Zoom call last week

In all fairness, Google Classroom has actually been very handy the last few weeks. Teachers always have sample answers or links to good websites or YouTube videos to help you understand the next topic. My maths class even went on a Zoom call last week. I know if I wasn’t tipping away, everyday things would have gone beyond a joke by now and I’d have no hope of catching up.

I’m seeing people walking my road that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before

The workload wouldn’t seem so heavy if there was something to do when I was done, every afternoon when I’m done studying I stare at a wall or go for a walk. I’m seeing people walking my road that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before, I don’t know if I’m only starting to notice them because I have nothing else to notice or if they’ve strayed miles from their own homes.

Fifth year has been fairly difficult and since I skipped transition year (TY), most of my friends in TY love to laugh at the amount of work I have compared to them, although I suppose it could be worse, I could be in sixth year and I think if I was I’d be absolutely goosed.

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