At this point, it’s safe to say that the covid 19 has disrupted college life. Freshers will be beginning their undergraduate life online, and seniors will be graduating with virtual convocations and a blurry view of the road ahead.
Despite the situation, students still don’t have a choice but to continue scoring good grades, figure out their career path, find internships, and, most importantly, explore themselves.
COVID 19 has changed how that works. And with no reliable resource to count on, today’s students are unfortunately the guinea pigs of a social experiment no one knows the results to. Which makes them one of the most emotionally vulnerable groups of people.
Students are arguably in the group of individuals most displaced by COVID 19. But keeping that in mind, here’s how you could perhaps maneuver through college life during a pandemic as a student:
Find structure to your activities
A good number of students find themselves back at home participating in virtual college classes. This throws away earlier routines of walking to your mess for breakfast, attending classes, meeting friends during lunch breaks, extracurricular activities, and of course, socializing at restaurants or pubs.
But with virtual college, you’ve got to find ways to compartmentalize your day.
Your class timings are fixed, so that gives you time around it to figure things out for yourself. Set specific slots during your day for socializing with friends, getting college work done, participating in career-building activities, and so on. Ensure that your days aren’t just spent logging in for a class, and then just lying in bed all day.
Understand that it’s okay to feel the way you’re feeling
These are crazy times without a doubt. Covid 19 has negatively affected college life, and there’s no idea when things could ever be the same again. It’s a new experience, and it’s understandable to feel angry, sad, hopeless, worried, frustrated, or even a combination of them all.
Allow yourself to feel the way you do, and also communicate those emotions to people you trust. This leads me to my next point.
Stay connected with friends and family
As you go through a myriad of emotions, it’s easy to bottle them up and seclude yourself. But that’s exactly what you shouldn’t be doing.
During such times, the one thing that can keep you going through academic activities is having a support system. It could be your family members or friends whom you trust. It could also be organized groups that intend to emotionally support each other, and look out for each others’ wellbeing.
Such groups will allow you to speak freely about your emotions, and understand your feelings better. Participating also comes with a great chance to be there for others, who could use your help and support.
Take screen breaks and give yourself that “me” time
While practicing social distancing, we easily end up spending most of our days on our devices. And these devices can be anxiety-inducing, especially when it comes to consuming news and completing course work.
So ideally, you’d want to find time during the day to simply take a break from your screens, and label it as the time for yourself. This could be an opportunity for you to relax, meditate, and perhaps reflect on various things.
Conclusion
Handling academia and college life during these times can be a struggle. Now that we’re aware of the various issues you might face as a student, it’s important for you to take the necessary steps to make sure you sail through this storm in one piece.
These are testing times, and students know too well what it’s like to be tested beyond their desire. Here’s where following the above-mentioned tips can help us tackle the challenges that come with this new definition of college life during covid 19.
