It’s not an easy time to be a college student. If your campus has closed down, as most have, you likely had only a few days to pack up your life and get home — a transition that’d be stressful in most circumstances but is especially so in the midst of a global health crisis.
The list below contains a few suggestions to get you started on adjusting to the new status quo and staying mentally and emotionally well while you do.
Create a designated workspace
Choose a room, a corner of a room, or a chair that you can call your study space. It’ll make it easier to separate your school and home life if you have a specific location for class and homework within your house, and your family members will also be more likely to recognize that you’re working when you’re within your “school” area. Similarly, find a place in your house (or outdoors, if you have a backyard, porch, or nearby park) that you can go to relax and be away from your work for a while.
Keep school friendships going
It’s easy to feel that all of your study groups, hangouts with friends, and roommate talks have disappeared overnight with a campus closure, but it’s possible to keep those relationships going remotely.
Scheduling a phone or Skype call or conference with people you know from school can be intimidating, because it may feel like you need to have a specific goal or purpose for the call.
But even if you’re just holding a remote dance party with friends or hanging out and talking while you all do everyday things in your homes, it’ll help ease feelings of loneliness to hear and see people you care about.
Schedule yourself like you’re still at school
One of the most challenging things about the sudden move from college to home can be the loss of many different kinds of ways you spent your time at school, whether they were jobs, clubs, sports, or any other activity. All that open time can make it hard to settle down and do your schoolwork, so make a schedule for working and studying as if your schedule is as full as it usually is.
Be kind to yourself
Having to abruptly uproot your school life and move back home is an emotionally disturbing experience, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you find you’re having trouble concentrating on work. Communicate with your instructors about your needs and allow yourself some time each day to process the feelings you may be having. Other students are likely feeling the same way too, so if you want to, call a friend or classmate to talk about how you’re doing.
Keep a regular sleep schedule
Even though it’s now actually possible to set your alarm to 30 seconds before the start of class, you’ll get a better quality of sleep if you go to bed and wake up at roughly the same times each day. Avoid doing work or spending time on the Internet in bed if you can, because these activities may cause your brain to associate the bed with thinking and being awake, rather than sleep and relaxation.
Meditate and/or exercise regularly
Regular physical activity and meditation can boost your mental health and provide a much-needed break from everyday stress. If traditional exercise is more your style, go running in your neighborhood or in a local park, or look for a free exercise-guidance website or app to give you daily routines to follow.
On the other hand, if you’re a fan of meditative activities, several mindfulness-based companies offer student subscriptions at deep discounts.
Yoga app Down Dog is giving anyone with a student email address free access until July 1, while the mindfulness meditation app Headspace, which offers guided meditations, sleep sounds, and calming music, is $10/year for college students.
