With midterms’ appearance being made, I’d like to start this out with a breathing exercise, but I’m sure your smartwatches and exercise tracking apps are doing enough reminding of that.
The fall 2020 semester has brought stressors unlike any other I’ve faced in my scholastic career. From issues with time management and motivation, along with skeptical study and eating habits, I’ve learned a lot and gained more from struggling than I could have if I wasn’t pressured to grow.
I’m not a fan of tossing fibs around, so I’m going to give it to you straight. The struggle bus is officially a mass transit corporation, and all of us have interned with them intermediately throughout this semester.
Despite this declaration, I’m still so grateful for the benefits of in-person learning and the opportunity to navigate a reimagined junior year of college.
What gives me the most hope for the rest of this semester are the ways we can combat these struggles. Starting early on projects and assignments, keeping in touch with your professors and avoiding that restrictive self-hate talk are ways to make troubling times more tolerable.
I was able to talk to some Colorado Mesa University (CMU) students about how their experiences have been thus far this semester and how they’ve been navigating their courses these past six weeks.
“I have ADHD, so for me, it’s really hard to focus at home and keep myself on task,” third-year mass communication major Ashley Andrews said. “I think I get a lot more out of having discussions with my teachers in my class face-to-face than I do online.”
It’s important to recognize that each student learns best in crafted learning environments specific to them. For some, online classes are the best thing to happen since microwavable corn dogs.
Fourth-year Mass Communication major Rachel Graham is staying positive by finding ways to actively deal with the new stipulations of higher education this semester.
“I feel like everything’s still the same,” Graham said. “Just read the chapters, do the homework and go to class. The only thing that would be different is scheduling outside of class for work […] I’m trying to keep an upbeat perspective about it and just be like ‘everything’s fine.’”
A consistent component to enjoying this semester has lied within the events that CMU’s student life and organizations have been putting on daily. From live concerts to chalk art contests, CMU is making sure students have an escape from the chair we complete all our homework from. Not only does your tailbone thank you, but so does your mind.
The strangeness surrounding this semester has formed unique memories between friends and established a form of community through understanding and compassion.
Whether you’re completely crushing this semester or turning all your assignments in two minutes before they’re due, be proud of yourself. You haven’t forgotten the purpose of pursuing your degree, and you are making progress.
