BLOG: Student Skye's day at home

What’s it really like working from home? By Gateshead College business student Skye Tilson.

Well I'll tell you. It sure is different than anyone would have thought. It's not this “ideal” day where we can sleep all day and do no work. Learning from home, I would describe as a refreshing change. As a keen learner myself, I am up for trying new things and went into the first class not knowing what to expect.

Getting a daily routine is what I believe to be most important; stability is the key to success. I get up around 7am and then get ready and put on a full face of makeup just to sit on our Google Meet calls with my camera off. However, it's about the happiness it brings me by getting up and being creative in the morning, a positive start to my day.

I will then join a Google Meet classroom at 9am with my teacher who will then brief me for the day. They will tell us what tasks need to be completed through the day and any sources that may help us do so. As well as getting a briefing, we tend to have a little catch up with the teachers which i'm sure they enjoy just as much as us when hearing about their children messing up the kitchen and how some of us still sound half asleep!

After the call I will then work until the usual end of lesson time which for me is 12:15pm. At this time I will then hand in the work I completed for the day so that teachers can check it has been finished and to a good standard.

To finish off the college part of my day I then fill in a student check-in. This notifies the teachers exactly where we are up to, what we've learned during the course of the day and if we need any help with the work we have completed - this is filled in every day.

The rest of the day is super important as now I have time to unwind and relax which is really crucial for good mental health. I've gone right back to my creative 12-year-old self and have been upcycling my old clothes and furniture as well as baking non-stop.

I end the day with the bit of fresh air that our body always needs. I go for my Boris Johnson-approved daily exercise by going for a walk down by the River Tyne. Some of the sunsets I've seen have been incredible. Why hadn't I noticed them before?

This is Skye signing off, here's to the following days of staying home and staying safe.