The first week of the fall semester has taught me a lot about how to be successful in our new academic reality. It has also reminded me that I am not alone. Everyone is nervous about learning online, including professors. This semester is really about adaptation and communication. Our professors have created syllabi and planned our classes, but after the first week, a lot of my classes have already changed in structure. The professors are here to help us and want us to succeed. My professors have been great about accommodation. All of them have asked us, students, how we would like the class to be run, and what type of online environment would be best for us to learn in. All of my professors have been very vocal about trying to create a sense of community while we cannot be physically together.
My first week of classes I realized that I did not know anyone in four out of five of my classes. I took it upon myself to reach out and create connections in my class, and now I have a group chat or emails for all of my classes. None of us knew each other, but we now feel comfortable enough to ask each other questions and we use those group chats almost every class. I have struggled with anxiety for a long time, and although I was nervous to reach out to people, it has made a huge difference already in my semester. Although we may not be on campus, there are so many resources to make our transition to online school easier. The first week of the fall semester has shown me the importance of accepting the situation we are in and finding ways to help ourselves succeed during this crazy time.