5 Tips for College Success in Coronavirus Times

Due to the threat of COVID-19, many schools are moving to remote teaching as an emergency and precautionary measure. Sudden changes like this can be challenging for a variety of reasons. These changes also happen suddenly, giving students little time to plan for how they will adjust.

Students may lack training and comfort in an online learning environment. Even for students who are familiar with distance learning, the move to remote learning can be challenging. Here are five tips to help students succeed academically in a sudden remote learning environment.

1. Practice Compassion

Now is a time to show compassion for yourself and for others. Everyone is doing their best and facing similar struggles. It’s challenging, no doubt, but a challenge we can overcome. With COVID-19, there is an opportunity to cultivate resiliency. Resiliency is the ability to bounce back from adversity. Adversity can range from daily stressors to traumatic events. Certainly, adversity can cause feelings of nervousness and anxiety, but also can help us grow when we adapt successfully. By supporting ourselves and each other, we can build resiliency and emerge stronger. The American Psychological Association offers tips on how to build resilience.

2. Learn About Complex Systems

Try viewing this experience as an opportunity to learn about how systems work (or don’t work). People may struggle with the software systems and equipment needed to support the switch to remote teaching and learning, and the various resources may become overloaded or not work properly together. Try to be patient and see what you can learn about operating within a complex system. For example, each instructor has certain learning outcomes to reach in a course. Those outcomes may be approved by a committee or the department at a local level, but also may be impacted by external accrediting organizations. If a course is changed significantly through remote instruction, are those outcomes adjusted? Who makes that decision and how? By better understanding how systems work, you gain critical skills that will serve you well in the future.

3. Adjust Your Expectations

Faculty members spend a significant amount of time planning and preparing their courses—designing lectures, assignments, and exams to best meet the needs of a particular course. Now, they must dramatically alter how they deliver this information. Class will not be the same as they—or you—expected. Practice flexibility in your thinking. The experiences you hoped for may not be feasible at this moment. Rather than clinging to what could have (or should have) been, focus on what is. It’s disappointing to miss the experiences that we were looking forward to, but those experiences may not be practical or safe right now. This post on Psychology Today can provide some guidance on how to stop focusing on what could have been and shift to what still can be.

4. Commitment and Effort Will Be Key

You need to commit yourself to your classes, recognizing that you will need to work differently than you did in the past. You may need to set aside specific hours to complete your coursework and engage in more planning than you would typically. Or, you may find the opposite is true, and that it’s difficult to predict when you’re able to access a specific platform or resources that you need. Commit yourself to completing the tasks, accepting that your usual standard may have to be adjusted. Try to prioritize your tasks and foster your independent learning skills. My post on how to become an active learner offers suggestions on how to do so.

5. Stay in Contact with Your Professors

Student experiences will vary widely. Some students may not have reliable internet access off-campus. Others may have trouble concentrating at home when their role as a student conflicts with their role as a parent, a sibling, or a caregiver. Some students may have additional risks related to their health. It’s important to communicate your struggles and how you’d like an instructor to support you. For example, if you’re confused about a particular assignment, would you like to speak with the professor by phone? Through some type of video-conferencing, like Skype or Zoom? Will email suffice? Communicate clearly, while also framing all requests politely and professionally. We’re all navigating this situation together, so don’t be afraid to communicate if you’re struggling with remote learning.

Managing all the aspects of life impacted by COVID-19 won’t be easy, but these tips can guide students through academic challenges. Don’t forget that each individual needs to determine when challenges become struggles. For those who begin feeling overwhelmed, reach out to professional mental health experts who can help you navigate stress and develop positive coping skills. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer recommendations on managing stress and anxiety.

We will get past this, but it's going to take time. Stay safe and healthy!