Starting a New Semester in the Age of COVID-19
One of the hardest parts about being in a graduate program the last year was establishing my routine. By the end of last fall, I found a routine that worked for me. I set time aside for self-care. I scheduled study time at coffee shops, independent writing sessions, and joined a writing group. By the spring semester, I was a pro at my routine.
Initially, the plan was to start the fall semester similarly to the beginning of my spring. Given the current circumstances, the routine I used last semester will not work. I never really developed a consistent routine after everything went online. I struggled with having a completely online course load, as being in that mode of schooling was never my intention. In the past, I purposefully avoided taking online classes because I knew that motivation would escape me early on.
My semester officially begins this Wednesday. Moving forward, I will need to establish a routine to juggle four online courses, one day of practicum (online? in-person? who’s to say?), ~20 hours of my assistantship, and working on my thesis and various other research things all within the confines of my apartment.
While those activities all occurred last year, I had the bonus to do my work wherever I pleased. Working at home and only at home proved difficult in learning to balance work-life when both work and life were in the same place. So many of us are having to navigate this first full semester with new rules. With all of that in mind, I am adjusting some of my routines to fit our current situation better.
Schedule time for everything.
I am a calendar queen, and I’ve gotten so used to planning out meetings and working sessions within my Outlook and Google calendars (and keeping track in a physical planner). Moving forward, I plan to take time at the beginning of each week to make an even more detailed plan for getting work done. This will not only help me prioritize specific responsibilities, but it will also help to make sure I’m not wasting any precious time. This will include planning out personal time as well. Before, I just took personal time when I had a moment. Now it’s going on the calendar! I’m sure my calendar will look messy, but I gotta do what I gotta do.
Find ways to work outside of my apartment.
Most places are closed, and I wouldn’t want to spend too much time in any enclosed spaces. While the weather is still lovely, I’m going to take advantage of the sunshine and get work done outside. I didn’t do this before, but I need to see something other than the inside of my home. I’ll get some needed sun and change my surroundings. Additionally, some smaller meetings I have this semester will be meeting at local shops, using their outdoor seating.
Do as much work at a table/desk as I can.
This one will be hard. I did well initially by actively working at a table, but as time progressed, I did more and more work in my bed. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I want to separate work and personal time as much as possible. My initial plan is only to do small tasks from my bed.
Connect with my cohort outside of our Zoom classes.
When we had classes in person, my cohort would often hang out between classes in the graduate lounge. We spent time working on our research or just talked when we had a few minutes to spare. There are no “between-classes” because we go our separate ways once we leave our Zoom meetings. Setting up hangouts or study sessions over Zoom might just be the connection we need to get work done and continue to build our bond.
Accept that things are not normal, and I can’t be expected to operate as if they are.
I believe the last one speaks for itself. Graduate school can be such a challenging time because it’s not just school; it’s also a job/career. I didn’t intend to get through any part of it during a pandemic. I have to continue to remind myself that I belong here, and any pandemic-related challenges are not a failure of mine. We get so bogged down in our work, and the slightest mention of something going wrong can send us into a deep spiral downward.
I’m committing to giving myself grace and patience as I navigate this new semester.
