Dealing with a Face-to-Face Campus

Photo by Zach Vessels on Unsplash

Making the transition from online learning to face-to-face learning has been a challenge for a lot of students. You might be one of them and its totally ok to still feel apprehension and anxiety this late into the fall term. We hope this blog can serve as some advice on how you can lower that anxiety so you can get through your first semester in-person.

Routine:

Routines are the best. Establish was makes you feel comfortable as you move through the campus space. Do you like having all your things and not have to walk back to the dorm? Would you like coffee before you first morning class? Do you like to hit the co-rec after you are down with classes? Take stock of what works for you. If it was part of your routine before, but can’t be part of it now – say you cant bring breakfast to your 8 am class – then find ways to incorporate it before or after the blocks of your schedule that has become a barrier.

Plan it out:

Aside from planning out the daily routines, revisit your syllabus and plan out when projects are due and when you should ideally start to work on them. If you have a large paper due next month, you might want to cushion some time at the library to get resources, the computer lab or a quiet space to write a few hours each day, and the writing lab to review your work before you submit it. If you plan it out a head you can do it in small increments so you can have your Thursdays, Fridays, and weekends to yourself for leisure.

Share your thoughts:

If what is really making you anxious is out of your control, talk to someone about it. Professors can help with classroom management or provide resources about course material. Sometimes the professor might even need your help – we seen some covid related policies out there that need students to report concerns for their well-being in addition to the professor (say you are uncomfortable with fellow classmates not wearing a mask as they are instructed to do so, or the class is put in a room that doesn’t allow a lot of space in between people). Counseling services on campus can also be helpful. They don’t just provide mental wellness council, but they also have lots of resources and know about resources to help you manage your time and your studies.