As Penn State students are awaiting the fate of their spring semester due to Omicron, I was thinking back to the last time we were entirely online, which was May of 2021.
As someone who struggles with ADHD, Zoom classes were extremely hard for me, and sometimes I feel as if I didn’t learn anything because I couldn’t pay attention. Not only that, but during the last semester of online classes, I felt unmotivated and depressed due to always being in my apartment on the computer listening to endless zoom lectures and doing homework.
With in-person classes and activities this past semester, I felt more motivated to succeed and had much better mental health. I was so excited for the spring semester until Omicron hit, and then I realized the impact that this wave would have. With the likelihood that Penn State will be going online for at least part of the next semester, I started to think of what I could do to keep myself from falling into the slump that online classes created. Here is what I have come up with.
Make a Routine
Part of the reason I was so unmotivated during online classes is that I am someone who thrives off of a routine. Online courses and their flexibility made it really hard to establish a routine. I would wake up at different times every morning, I would sometimes not even get out of bed for hours, and when I finally would, I wouldn’t go anywhere or do anything.
Throughout the fall semester of in-person classes, I thrived because I had a routine that motivated me to get up and go to my classes. This time around, during online classes, I plan on creating a routine so that I feel like I have some sense of control in my life which will better motivate me to go to my Zoom classes, even on days where I feel completely unmotivated. I will wake up every day around the same time and find a spot to do my Zoom classes where I know that I will focus.
Leave My Apartment
I would never leave my apartment during online classes unless I absolutely had to. Even in the spring, when restrictions started easing up, I still would do everything from my apartment, which led me to fall asleep during classes or not pay attention because I would watch Tik Toks.
This past semester, I realized that I focused better when I went somewhere that wasn’t my apartment, and I rarely did homework or studied in my apartment unless I absolutely had to. With Zoom classes this time around, I plan to find a spot outside of my apartment where I can go and do Zoom classes so that I am better able to focus and won’t be as tempted to fall asleep or go on social media. Obviously, I will follow Covid guidelines, and if they don’t permit that, I will stay in my apartment, but if the guidelines allow, I will be doing my Zoom classes elsewhere this semester.
Asking for Help
The last thing I wanted to do after a long day of Zoom classes was to go into Zoom office hours if I had a question for a professor. This led to me not asking for help and struggling on assignments that I wouldn’t have struggled with had I asked for help. In-person classes reminded me of how important asking for help is, and I was better able to get my questions answered by professors when I went into their office hours.
This time around, no matter how much Zoom fatigue I am suffering from, I will go into Zoom office hours with my professors if I have a question that will help me succeed more in my classes. Professors are there to help, and it is important to ask for help if you don’t get something, and they are very accommodating, especially during the global pandemic.
Making Connections with the People in my Classes
Over Zoom, it is extremely difficult to connect with the other people in your class because you can’t converse with them unless you are put into a breakout room. Having friends in your classes is vital because they can give you the notes if you miss something or even be someone to study with for difficult exams in said classes. This semester, I was ecstatic to get the chance to do something I hadn’t done since January 2020, which was to make friends in my classes, and that is something I am going to miss. Over Zoom, it won’t be easy, but by speaking up in breakout rooms and trying to join class Group Me’s, I plan to make friends with the people in my Zoom classes.
While it is hard to believe that we could be back where we were a year ago, things have changed, and this time around, it won’t be as hard to stay motivated. I hope that classes will eventually go back to being in person but, I refuse to let the thought of Zoom classes upset me.
I wish everyone a healthy and happy beginning of spring semester, collegiettes!