COVID-19 has forced the world to adapt their daily lives. Many people are facing life with social distancing, masks being enforced, and less “face-to-face” interaction. With all the changes this pandemic has brought, it’s hard to imagine what the long-term effects of this “new norm” will be.
College is a challenge in itself, but now students at UTM are earning their degree through a combination of hybrid and online courses, which is brand-new territory for many students. “The biggest challenges I have encountered this semester are learning how to take notes and understanding content thoroughly,” said Anna Graves, a senior social work major.
While students are learning remotely, the instant reassurance from professors and their ability to quickly give respond are not as readily available. Some students thrive in a classroom setting; They feed off of the classroom energy—something that isn’t possible without classrooms or other students and professors. When you take that setting away from students, it leaves them easily distracted and socially starved.
Before remote learning was implemented, professors and students were concerned about the possibility of steady communication. “I definitely think I started using emails to communicate with people more now,” said Kento Tada, a senior cell and molecular biology major. It’s easy to say that we took face-to-face communication for granted when it was easily accessible.
Although we tend to focus on the negative aspects of COVID-19, there are some students who have found a silver lining. Franklin Hudspeth, a senior political science major, and other students have reevaluated their self-discipline to better themselves and achieve a successful semester without the constant reminders from their professors. “Something I have done to adapt to the semester that I hadn’t done in the past is to have a set and regular sleep schedule, as well as actually using a planner,” said Hudspeth.
Now more than ever, being self-disciplined and organized will play a huge factor in surviving this semester. Graves stated, “As of now, organization means the world to me. I have discovered that for myself to be successful, especially with most of my classes being conducted online, I must be very organized.” Setting a schedule for class, studying, work and sleep will help students maintain some type of “normal” in their lives.
Whether we like it or not, COVID-19 has made its mark at UTM—affecting professors and students in different ways. However, there’s always an opportunity to look at the brighter side of things and UTM is doing just that.
