The “classroom”. I found myself after giving my mom my former school laptop, using my “fun” computer for school. This had nasty side effects. First I would finish my class work, but be unable to turn off the school mentality, and start working past my self imposed deadline of 4pm.
This is a bad thing for all of us. Why? Because my husband and I have an unspoken agreement that stress and work are dropped at the door at the end of the day. Well for me I have to create a door. Mine is when the kids get home from school. That is when I need to switch from student to mom and wife. They have homework to do and he works 18 hours so I need to handle shit around the house. This wasn’t happening if I was stuck in student mode. I needed a disconnect.
The second side effect came on top of that. When I could force myself out of work mode and play swtor or whatever, I didn’t want to sit at my desk or look at my computer. It symbolized work and stress at that point.
So this is my door. My classroom is now the dining room. Thus I can have a much needed disconnect. And I can now look forward to going to my desk for study breaks and relax time. Now I can turn it off. It may seem silly, but that is one of the big challenges I find to attending school online.
Bonus, when I need quiet for my Thursday evening one on one time with my algebra professor, I can go upstairs easily with this laptop and have quiet and privacy. Isabella the Alienware is not so portable being attached to her monitor and keyboard and zillion peripherals.
