We can all agree that campus online is just not what we envisioned when imagining the UCT experience. But just like everything else, we’ve had to settle for an option that attempts to keep society functioning and everyone safe. If you’re a fresher right now, the good news is that there is still lots to look forward to and this too shall pass. Hopefully, this article will be a useful resource to help you navigate transitioning into both university and online-learning – while still having an enjoyable first-year experience.
- Academic Tips
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Thriving and staying on track in university, especially online, means being able to do four things: plan, be disciplined, engage with your learning and ask for help.
Planning:
To plan, you need to have a sense of what you need to get done and when. Checking Vula and your email regularly and carefully for that information is essential. Make sure to diarize your assignment dates and get familiar with when course lectures are uploaded. It’s easy to get jumbled up and accidentally miss lectures or even assignments so keep an eye out. When planning your workload, be realistic. You aren’t a machine. It can be really discouraging to overestimate your abilities, schedule in too much work and then not be able to finish it all, so avoid that.
Planning for online learning involves choosing a time and an area to work. Only you can come up with your schedule, so my advice is to pay attention to how long you want to work per day and how you will structure your sessions. When choosing an area, a desk at home or in a library is ideal. Otherwise, anywhere you can sit comfortably with all your material is good enough. Having a designated workspace and time can make it easier to get into a rhythm of being productive.
Being Disciplined:
Even under normal circumstances many first-years struggle with being disciplined in university since there are no teachers breathing down your neck or asking why you missed class. Now, online learning makes the need for personal discipline even greater. You need to be able to identify why you’re studying at university at all if you want to stay disciplined. Once you have your “why” you can return back to it whenever you feel discouraged or you’re struggling to stay productive. You won’t always feel motivated because feelings come and go – that’s why knowing your “why” and being disciplined are so important.
Engaging with your Learning:
Believe me, online learning makes it too easy to treat school as a part time gig. Bad idea. Engaging with distractions like social media while you “work” isn’t just ineffective, it’s deceptive. You’ll believe that you’ve done the work, but your brain is likely to retain nothing. Instead, treat online lectures like you would an in-person one. Ideally, that means putting your phone away, taking notes and working in an environment that’s comfortable but still will allow you to be productive. On that note, try to “attend” lectures prepared and keep track of what you’re understanding and what you’re not, so you know what areas will need most attention.
Asking for help:
I want to stress that this is not the time to let fears (or your ego) get in the way of you reaching out for help. Whether that means academic help or other support, please don’t suffer in silence. On the academic side, try to keep in touch with your tutors and lecturers. They want to help. Avoid waiting until exam time to ask questions, rather clarify things along the way to beat feeling overwhelmed. In terms of emotional and mental support, always seek help if you’re struggling to cope or feel that your mental health is deteriorating. Ideally, this would be through a professional, but your mentors and support structures are there to help you too. The University offers both Health and Counselling Services through the Student Wellness Service.
Bonus Academic Tip: Fail
A lot of people come to university with the mindset that ‘failure is not an option’. Unfortunately, that’s not how learning works- like, at all. Studies have shown failure primes your mind for learning. Essentially, unless you already know everything (in which case you wouldn’t be at university), you need to fail to learn. Obviously, I’m not advising you to fail and drop out. I’m saying that you need an attitude that embraces making mistakes and learning from them. Let yourself fail from the beginning when stakes are low, so that eventually you can ace the high stakes assessments. Practically, that looks like doing those practice quizzes on Vula, testing yourself, doing past papers etc.
- Wellness Tips
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In life, and especially during this pandemic, your highest priorities should be to take care of yourself and others. You need to be showing yourself, and those around you, constant compassion and care. As a uni student, taking care of yourself essentially comes down to one thing: balance.
My earlier tip on discipline applies here too. Balancing school and your social life, as well as working and resting, is of utmost importance. You need to be just as vigorous about protecting your time off as you are about sticking to your work schedules. Connecting with people right now – in a regulated, legal and responsible way – is invaluable and can help you combat the feelings of isolation that have become a plague of their own.
Your energy is not infinite and you will have days when you just need a break. Sometimes, reaching out to a friend and catching up will be more important than sitting through lectures all day. Self-care is about commiting to your overall well-being and growth. Sometimes, that means saying yes to things you don’t feel like (e.g. working when you don’t feel motivated) and saying no to things that will cause you harm (e.g. working yourself to burnout). Find your balance and honour yourself.
Congratulations on making it this far in your educational career, and I wish you good luck as you continue. Try to find and enjoy the little pleasures even in this season and hopefully, these tips will help make your transition to university a little easier.