It’s not uncommon toward the end of the summer for me to feel pre-stress about the upcoming school year/semester. I wasn’t quite stressed about individual assignments, but thinking about the 15 weeks that lie ahead and all that needs to get done within them made the light at the end of the tunnel seem very faint. Since March of 2020, it’s been a goal of mine to look at everything a little bit differently, and to focus on what I can do, rather than what I can’t.
Learning remotely has added quite a bit to the usual amount of pre-stress. I’m the kind of student who really benefits from learning in person. However, I’ve done everything I can in order to set myself up for success this semester. Having a designated “school” space is something that I’ve really benefited from (because I know if I tried to set up camp with a lap-desk on my couch or bed, I’d end up scrolling through my phone or napping too often). A quick trip to IKEA for a desk and an on-sale desk chair from Staples sealed the deal. Purchasing a desk calendar, an agenda, and looking through all my syllabi helped me get into the “start of the semester” mindset.
The first week was definitely a lot, but it seems like the semester will be manageable. It was nice to meet all of my professors (virtually) and figure out the expectations for each course. One of the things I was nervous about with learning remotely was how I’d navigate classes and assignments, one on top of another. I’m a commuter student, so the drive home from campus was always a good mental break and allowed me to figure out how I’d attack the night. (Write the first few pages of a paper, eat dinner, study for patho, etc.). I’ve gotten into the habit of writing everything down, and taking it one step at a time.
Everyone is in the same boat as far as this semester goes. I still have some nerves about how it’ll go, but I know in the end it’ll all be okay.
Written by Katherine C., a Rutgers—Camden Undergraduate Student and Raptor Ambassador.