Studying in the pre-pandemic times was stressful enough, but the online learning setup has proved to be an additional challenge to millions of students worldwide. The difficulties come with the drastic change of modes of learning; gone are the routinary days spent in actual classrooms with good friends and classmates. Instead, students now spend hours on end in front of their computers, dreading the next class and the upcoming deadlines–all within the same confined space where they do other activities.

Coping Up With College Education Amidst The Pandemic

There’s no denying it–online learning is very stressful. With the ongoing global pandemic, it seems like college courses online will continue to be the best way for education to proceed. 

How can one cope with such drastic and occurring change? Take a look at the list below:

 

• Stay Organized

 

Nothing beats someone who can maintain control. Being organized is all about keeping things in order. Taking charge of your life, especially now that instructions and learning are done remotely, is one of the crucial adjustments students have to make. 

However, being organized doesn’t always have to mean being over the top. It can be as simple as taking meticulous notes of each task and deadlines per class. Designating a portion of your study desk for important papers and files goes a long way, too. 

Since almost everything’s virtual and digital now, it’s also efficient to utilize free cloud storage services, like Google Drive, where documents can be directly saved and accessed in neat digital files.

The key is constructing a system of doing things that best serve you. Keep it tidy, simple, and easy to work through.

 

• Never Chase The Deadline

 

Deadlines are notorious for putting students to high levels of stress. Chasing deadlines amidst the pandemic is another thing. Procrastinating until a project is nearly due is the typical cause of cramming. It can also be due to poor time management skills and other unique factors.

Still, it can be largely avoided if one immediately proceeds to do the task given. Whether it’s because you’re a perfectionist or procrastinator (or both,) it doesn’t matter. To stay ahead of deadlines, you have to do things now rather than later.

Never mind the need to get things right the first time. As the saying goes, you can never work with a blank page. Aim to do your task in realistic and efficient increments. Setting personal deadlines a few days before the actual deadline allows you to have more time to rework, edit, polish, and sit with your project or paper. This is a foolproof way to reduce stress and anxieties caused by overwhelming deadlines.

 

• Break Sweat, Not Tears

 

Students in the time of the pandemic are prone to a sedentary lifestyle. This means little to no physical activity measured by the time spent sitting or lying down. This comes in the form of watching television, playing video games, spending a significant amount of time in front of a computer screen and scrolling through social media for hours. Such a lifestyle comes with preventable health risks. 

However, it’s not merely about keeping your physical health in check. Exercising also promotes a recreational way to destress. Breaking sweat after spending idle hours working on assignments balances your overall physical and mental state.

Take note to sleep right, look after your nutrition, and check your eating habits, too.

 

• Set Clear Boundaries

 

It’s easy to get overwhelmed these days. Ever since the pandemic, almost all activities have taken place online–from attending Zoom classes to catching up with friends, the virtual world feels immediate, instant, boundless, and repetitive. This adds to the stress and anxiety experienced by a lot of people, most of all, students.

That being said, it’s best to set clear boundaries. Identify a time within the day where you should stop checking your emails and messages. Know when things get overwhelming for you and learn to say no. Take the weekends off as strictly for rest and leisure. Set rules and stick by them, and assert your need for time and space to maintain balance in your life.

 

• Extend Kindness

 

Just like yourself, everyone’s going through a lot of things as they deal with the same impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the world. People cope in different ways; some take more time, others even more so.

Attending classes and collaborating with people for projects all require an awareness of each other’s unique situations. Understanding how difficult it can get is humbling. This is because it brings empathy to the table and allows you to connect better with other people. 

What makes things easier is kindness. Build support networks, get in touch with friends, be patient with teachers and technology, and reach out to others who might need help. 

Final Words: Online Learning Is Possible

Even with the present challenges posed by the pandemic, fruitful learning can still happen. The best way to cope with difficult situations and unique circumstances is to find ways to work with what you have. Taking control of things, setting priorities, and extending yourself to others requires a positive mindset geared towards remaining steadfast and resilient. 

As with everything else, college education amidst the pandemic takes will, effort, and patience to arrive at good outcomes.