COVID-19 REFLECTIONS: Pick your "hard"

The biggest test students are about to face yet: Survival of COVID-19®. We students have more room to fail right now and that’s not even including actual course work difficulties. What odds are we up against? Well, they are still rather 50/50 despite it feeling otherwise. I say this because of a quote I’ve read recently, “Struggling is hard. Achieving your goals is hard. Pick your hard”. That there sounds very “50/50” to me. 

The betacoronavirus disease, COVID-19 for short, is a virus that is affecting the respiratory system of its victims and possibly killing them, which is becoming more frequent that we care to acknowledge. It has turned into a pandemic that is surely bringing fear and uncertainty across the world. The virus is a huge concern but for those of us who have not contracted it, it’s the precautions that are taking the biggest toll on us. This is where student troubles come in at. 

When this all started a lot of colleges were on spring break and then abruptly told that classes would not be resuming just yet for our safety. Social distancing has caused universities to cease all gatherings and in-person contact. Subsequently, some students living on campus have been displaced and a great majority of them have made their courses for the semester online. For some, this is exactly what they needed to be more successful. For others, this is a nightmare.

I personally have never signed up for an online class because I do not possess the discipline to stay on task and manage my time if there are no in-person meetings. I am also way too inquisitive of an individual to be comfortable being limited to how intimate my class setting may be; there is truly something prized about raising your hand for impulsive questions versus typing a laundry list of questions in an email and its follow up questions. This rings true for my peers across the world. Focus and discipline are issues for us in this time. 

With classes being virtual (video) via “zoom”, we have an abundance of time on our hands. Online courses affect our time management, engagement/ motivation, eating/ sleeping habits, productivity, graduation dates and mental health to name a few. With virtual lectures being optional for some, “optional” doesn’t take a high priority in such a time- students are missing lectures. What isn’t optional here are the assignments and if you aren’t good at managing your time and keeping up with dates, then points and grades can easily slip away from students. The motivation to keep up with online classes is at an all-time low as well. Some students’ busy schedules have calmed because of all this and they are taking the to time to care for themselves rather than keep class as a stressor for them. Due dates have moved farther away, and the urgency in their work ethic has been lost. A lot of students are classified as “physical’ or “social” learners. Taking away in-person meetings are affecting the amount of material that can be learned (and learned alone to make matters worse). Loss of routine has caused sleeping schedules to be broken and eating habits to be laxer than our heath can afford at this time.

Imagine being a displaced student and still have it expected of you to succeed during this pandemic for grades that will make or break your transcript.

Imagine losing your job because it is nonessential and being expected to give priority to coursework while not knowing if your landlord will pardon your rent or if you will have enough to feed your family. Imagine being the only one in the household with an essential job, having the weight of caring for yourself/family and still be expected to succeed this semester. Imagine not having a computer because you used one at the library every day and they are all closed now. Imagine fighting to live in the dorms for fear of home life and now you must return to a home that is unsafe or non conducive to your success. Imagine having too much time on your hands to fall into depression (or a deeper one) or self-harm. Imagine having too much time to think so you are sleeping to shut the noise off and subsequently declining your progress. Imagine having to drop out of courses and still expected to pay off your tuition bill. Imagine coming so close to graduating and it’s been pushed back a semester. Imagine catching this virus without healthcare and the medical bills still being expected to be paid or the lack of medical attention sought out for the same reason.

I could continue this rant, but we don’t have all day. The question is, now what? Even the government is fickle about what information is true or should be shared. I feel we may have more problems than solutions. There are a few tips for students I will suggest that I think are most important (without repeating everything that’s circulating). Nonetheless, now more than ever, it will be so much easier said than done. For starters, limit your consumption of the news about this pandemic.

This is not an ode to “ignorance is bliss” but a testament to “that was enough for now”.

Amongst that, take your classes and only work on one subject/course a day. Try not to do a bunch of different subjects a day because the jumping around will overwhelm you. Take one subject and work at your pace throughout the day or maybe even just the mornings. Which leads me to my next point, give yourself credit for all the steps you’re actively taking to make progress. That may be something as small as doing your hair really nice for yourself because looking better helps you feel better thus, improving motivation. Lastly, I would suggest getting due dates and tasks onto sticky notes as it helps when you can physically touch all those thoughts floating in your head. It’s also more satisfying to remove the stickies once something has been accomplished. 

What you are reading is my input into the time capsule. There are so many perspectives to look at this with: the elderly, the incarcerated, the undocumented, the healthcare workers, the homeless, etc. In the future when they ask what happened to us students during COVID-19, this will be one of many pieces they reflect on. 

Takira Brown, Roosevelt University ‘21

Understanding “more than just grades”

Two words: STUDENT INVOLVEMENT. These words were introduced to me a little late in the game. I’m a senior in college learning the importance of “more than just grades”. Student involvement is just as the name suggest: the inclusion of students into a formal community with the intent of furthering their people skills or academic interests. This plays a role in opportunities you may gain or miss out on.

On a college campus, this is usually present via social or academic clubs, sports, arts, or any other formal organization where like-minded people congregate. Yeah, I bet you knew that already too. What I didn’t think qualified for student involvement was engagements outside of school yet, it absolutely counts. This could be volunteer work that is non-academic, leadership taken in a fundraiser, being a part of a book club that reads novels written by Black women (if you wanted a specific example for the road), etc. Ok but SO WHAT, right? I’m right on track for graduation, grades are good… I’m literally being a model student. Welp, that’s exactly what some employers and graduate/professional schools say when they read resumes and transcripts, “So what?” 

Let’s pause for a second.

I’m the type of person who really enjoys isolation and minimum human interaction (if we’re being frank). Thus, I am not eager to join anything for an extra-curricular purpose. Why does that matter? Well these things are outside of my comfort zone, but it doesn’t speak to the fact that I may identify with one of these organizations. This leads me into explaining why some institutions put a preference to individuals who have been involved in something. Let’s resume.

Personally, I dream of going to (and graduating from) medical school. So, if I knew everything in the world about medicine, does that help me be a good doctor? Does that help me read a room or vibes/ demeanor of people? Does that help me create safe spaces for my patients or co-workers? Does that help me know when to lead and when to follow? Does that help me know that everything isn’t done by the book? The answer is…. NOPE. Interacting builds character, experience and knick-knack skills that a book can not teach you. An employer or school would prize a candidate with associations to groups or experiences rather than one who has none of that because it builds an expectation.  The expectation is then satisfied simultaneously because they know someone on a sports team, if you will, SHOULD be able to listen to authority, work well in teams, perform well when put in the hot seat, have a sense of camaraderie, time management skills, etc. When you know a person has achieved a certain level of these things it shows a well-shaped candidate but also…. it’s nice to know that’s one less thing they must teach you. So, for me, the student, I agree with what they’re aiming for. It just sucks for me that I’m hearing the IMPORTANCE of all this so late.

When is the right time to start? Well, I would say start during your summer breaks. JOIN SOMETHING or (for our advanced readers) START SOMETHING!! I wish this wasn’t something you just learn via word of mouth. The importance of student involvement should be something shared widely, not a secret gem floating around. This trickles down to high school students as well because undergrad schools are the same.

I would hate for someone to be in my boat and realizing their degree/diploma just might not be enough.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk!

Takira Brown, Roosevelt University ‘21