Remote Learning and its Challenges

Elizabeth Shin
UC Davis undergraduate,  4th year
Major: Landscape Architecture​

My cute but needy dog

While I was excited about the prospect of working from home, remote working came with its own set of challenges. For one, I have an extremely cute, but needy dog. I realized very quickly that me being home all day gave her the impression that I could give her all of my attention 24/7. I thought that working remotely would allow me to maximize my productivity and my time, which unfortunately was not the case for the first couple of days. She is extremely cuddly, which means her favorite place to sit is my lap. Luckily, I found tons of tips and tricks for distracting dogs online! Before I started my work, I would take her on a long walk with the intention of tiring her out. Aside from physical exercise, mental stimulation proved incredibly helpful for keeping her occupied. She loves Yak Chews and bully sticks!

​Another challenge I faced was not knowing when to stop working. I found it difficult keeping to the typical 6AM-11AM shifts, and found myself continuing to work even after 11AM. Unlike working on the ranch, I couldn’t just leave and go home after my shift was over, because I was already home. My work was in front of me at all times of the day, and I struggled to put it aside. To help restore my sense of work-life balance, I started setting alarms on my phone to remind myself that I have worked enough. I also found it super helpful to work outside my apartment. I frequented the library, local coffee shops, and even my apartment study lounge. It took a while for me to get adjusted, but I learned a lot about myself (and my dog) through this experience!