Learning during a Pandemic

The ongoing pandemic has brought about many changes in our lives. With so many uncertainties and disruptions, everything feels unfamiliar and unpredictable. It’s very easy to feel like your life is spiraling out of control. But in these times, remember to be patient with yourself and others.

We collected responses from students on what they’re finding challenging during this pandemic and the one thing that stood out to us is that everyone is in the same boat. Know that you are not alone and it is completely normal to feel this way. Here’s some genuine advice from fellow students like you!

Managing the Workload

• Set yourself a bedtime at night. The all-nighter: it’s a classic college stereotype, one that we all know too well, especially now that the majority of things are all online. Homework, studying and other responsibilities keep many of us up late at night, but losing sleep is no joke. Having a time where you can just throw in the towel and get some shut-eye is crucial to maintaining your health. You can keep it flexible in the beginning, and you can make that bedtime be 2am if you so choose; however, give yourself a limit and stick to it. By sticking to a bedtime, you can begin to regulate your sleep cycle over time and get a healthy amount of rest at night, which will make it much easier to be alert and active in the daytime.
• Get a planner, or some other scheduling method. Really, use any method where you can write down your assignments, keep track of various Zoom links, and record meeting times for group projects and clubs. It’s extremely easy to lose track of your responsibilities, especially over a virtual landscape. It may seem overwhelming when you have a list of homework assignments, essays, and midterms to study for, but having all that information in a physical place makes it easier to remember, and it’s oh-so fun to check something off when it’s done. If you aren’t a planner person, or often have trouble maintaining a planner, you could try different online systems, like Notion or a planner app, or you could get a whiteboard and write things down on there. Find something that works for you!

6 Best Planner Apps for Students - Calendly.com

• Take advantage of procrastination. We’ve all put something off that we really shouldn’t have and paid the price later on. To combat procrastination, sometimes you can trick yourself into doing something useful for yourself. Next time you find yourself procrastinating on something, try cleaning a bit of your room or closing the bajillion tabs you have open on your computer. If you’re going to be “wasting time” procrastinating, you could instead do something small for your future self, and suddenly it doesn’t feel so much like a waste. If you’re really having a hard time keeping up with assignments, you can also ask a professor/TA for help or for an extension with good reason.
• Find time to relax. Working yourself to the bone will only serve to make you exhausted and stressed. Take some time to have fun with your hobbies or pick up something new. Recreation @ UCSD has a bunch of free online classes for registered students, and it’s always important to remain active and exercise as well. Doing things that aren’t necessarily school-related is important for your mental health. As Cognitive Scientists, we know that taking care of your mind is just as important as taking care of your body. Finding ways to socialize in a safe way is pretty difficult, but thankfully we have tips for socialization as well!

The Playground

Socializing

• Find ways to get involved. UCSD went from “UC Socially Dead” to “UC Social Distancing.” But that’s a rebranding that certainly works! Even through social distancing, there’s still ways to add to your social life. Be it in class or extracurriculars, join spaces where you can meet with peers and make new friends. This could be through study groups, student organizations/clubs, greek life, or just online groups with other UCSD students who might share the same interests from you. (Join CSSA’s Discord chat here!). Put yourself in those situations where you are able to socialize. Not every interaction or conversation will lead to a new friendship — but most friendships do have to start with that first exchange. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people, and if you are, (as I’m sure a lot of introverts can relate), find situations that force you to interact with others. As hard as socializing might be during this time, the social aspects of college are probably one of the most fun parts of it and can have such fulfilling outcomes.
• Keep connected with friends — new and old. Between studying, homework, and other responsibilities, it might be a struggle to keep on top of your social life. With social distancing, it can be even harder to find the time to meet up with friends. But if this is the case, try to set aside a specified amount of time per week to catch up with friends. Weekly video calls can allow you to share all those latest stories and tidbits with your friends. Watching shows/movies with friends through screen sharing, playing video games, etc. are also fun ways to get some downtime. After all, while social distancing might keep us safe, it’s social connections that probably keep us the most sane during this time.
• Reach out to your professors. The shift to online classes might have led to asynchronous lectures where you no longer have the chance to interact with your professor. But a lot of professors are still offering office hours, which allows students to meet them in small group settings. It can be scary mustering the courage to talk to your professors but remember that most of them are 100% down to help you if you are struggling with anything. In my experience with office hours, the small group settings mean that these interactions usually feel more personal, with talks from professors ranging from review and clarifications of topics, to enthusiastic accounts of whatever research they’ve been doing, to recounts of personal experiences and fun life stories. All in all, office hours are a great opportunity to not only receive help in classes, but also to get to know your professors. So, while so many things about school life and social life has changed, a lot of resources are still available to help us. And we have one last reminder about making the best out of things!

Keeping Positive

• The silver lining in all of this. We are all collectively experiencing a lot of difficulties right now given the pandemic and the state of the world. In order to keep positive, it’s important to remember the little things, the small parts of life that have gotten easier. Having online classes means that we don’t have to worry about running from Revelle to Warren in ten minutes to make it to lecture on time. We also don’t need to worry about printing out essays and carrying around stacks of paper and books across campus. Oftentimes this means that students have a bit more time to partake in extracurricular activities and hobbies, which are pretty fun.
• Stay in the present. This is something that we all should prioritize regardless of the state of the pandemic. As college students in general, it’s often easy to get caught up in worrying about the ‘next step’. Whether this is tomorrow’s assignment, next quarter’s classes, next summer’s internship or post-graduation careers. We may also spend time thinking about the past; either regretting it or wishing for those simpler times. What tends to happen when we constantly think about the future or the past is that we simply fail to acknowledge the present. One of the key concepts of mindfulness is to pause and appreciate where you are now. Appreciate how far you’ve come and what you’ve achieved. When you go for a walk outside, feel the fresh air and focus on your surroundings. When you’re having dinner with your family or friends, really take in the food and the conversation rather than thinking about all the work on your To-Do list. ‘Stop and smell the roses’ is more than just a cliché.