Welcome to exam season everyone. Whilst I hope you are all doing well and kicking butt, I know that feeling of greatness and success are probably far from what the majority of us are feeling right now. Whilst they are the safest option given the state of the world right now, online classes are incredibly taxing–both mentally and physically–and often very stressful. Given that exams are already stressful for us students, the prospect of taking an exam online–often whilst you are recording both yourself and your screen–on potentially unstable internet is a recipe for a mental health disaster. But you know what? That’s alright. It’s okay if you’re having a hard time right now. We all are.
Nobody is immune to technical difficulties and excessive exam stresses, especially right now. Whether you set off the exam proctoring software because a fly kept landing on your face, thus forcing you to frantically swat it away–yup, I’ve been there–or had your internet decide that it just didn’t want to do its job in the middle of an exam–uh-huh, I’ve also been there–or had to write an embarrassing and frantic email to your professor regarding either of the above–spoiler alert: I’ve been there too–you need to know that it is not only you that is struggling with education in an online environment. You aren’t alone. All of us are experiencing technical issues right now, no matter how hard we try to pretend that we aren’t. These mishaps can weigh incredibly heavy on our mental health. However, they are completely out of our control. I know it’s hard, but for the sake of your mental health, please try to recognize this.
As I’m sure many of us have noticed, it’s much more difficult to achieve the grades we may be used to in an online environment. Of course, this is to be expected when we are essentially teaching ourselves high level and complex material from pre-recorded lectures and videos, but it is no less disheartening when you receive a grade that isn’t what you were expecting. I know this stings, especially when you haven’t been given the same opportunities to learn and ask for clarification as we would have access to in an in-person setting. I also know that when you receive a less than perfect grade it can do one of two things: send you into an unmotivated down spiral or into an obsessive “I need to fix this” episode. Both of these are unhealthy behaviors that we students fight with. For the sake of your mental health, please try not to fall into either of these traps. If you truly haven’t been reviewing your lectures, maybe make an honest effort to catch up. But if you’re already trying your darndest, just keep trying your best, there’s no point in exhausting yourself. And if neither of these work, reach out to your professor or TA; they know we are struggling, and they are there to help.
If you’re finding yourself struggling with your mental health not only this exam season but throughout online classes in general, it is important to prioritize yourself. Keep up with self-care. Try to get some sleep. Eat proper meals when you can. And most importantly, be kind to yourself–the pandemic is certainly out of your control, as is your less than perfect internet connection, the fly that lands on you, and the need to write frantic emails to professors. We’ll all get through this, even if our grades aren’t perfect, our jeans don’t fit quite right, and our mental health needs a little bit of work. I promise.
As always, if you or someone you know are struggling with your mental health, please reach out and get the help you need. You can find a list of University services HERE and Edmonton services HERE.