I’m sure at this point of the semester, we’re all feeling a sense of dread that’s slowly (or rapidly for some) luring upon us. For some, it’s the dread of waking up in the morning for that 8am class, for others, it’s the dread of joining as many virtual events as possible in an attempt to socialize or create new friendships. As basically everything we do nowadays takes place in front of a desk and on a computer screen, it’s hard for us to differentiate between being productive and socializing as well as allocating the appropriate time for them. I would often catch myself hopping off a Zoom meeting for a lecture and then immediately joining another Zoom for one of the student organizations I’m a part of. I remember last year as a freshman, even when I was busy studying up on the fourth floor of Snell, when it’s time to go to a meeting for a club, I would actually pack up my bags and go to the meeting in a different building. However, with COVID, it’s hard to just get up from your desk and step out of your dorm or apartment to change your work environment without worrying about the possibility of catching the virus.
As a second year, my course load has definitely increased considerably compared to last year. On top of that, with classes being virtual and us having to constantly adapt to new changes, it’s hard for us to find a way to balance the different aspects of our lives and stick to it. While we can’t really do anything to change the way certain things are right now, we can still try to do certain things to help us better adapt to these changes. For instance, I was always told that Google Calendar is the crème de la crème when it comes to organizing your tasks and being productive. While I did use Google Calendar for the majority of last year, I did make a shift to physically writing down my everyday tasks or events in a physical planner. I find that because everything nowadays is so digital, it feels more gratifying when physically crossing out a task when it is completed rather than just clicking a button on a digital calendar. I would jot down everything from upcoming assignments or exams to when I have to do laundry or hang out with friends. In addition, while this might only apply for some people, I think it helps when you designate different spaces in your room/apartment/house to do certain things. For example, use your desk to only attend lectures and work, or only go to your living room to join in on club activities. While this might not work for certain people with limited spaces, I personally do this in my on-campus apartment to mimic the change in environment/workspace like I had last year pre-COVID.
With all that being said, I hope you all are still hanging in there as we are almost at the halfway point of the semester. Go to your classes, catch up with your friends, and make sure to stay on top of your work. But at the same time, don’t stress yourself out too much if you’re feeling overwhelmed. We’re all going through a difficult time right now and it’s okay to feel stressed out. Everyone deals with stress in a different way and it’s okay to just slow and just breathe. Best of luck and until my next blog, talk to you soon.
