5 Tips for Being a Successful U-M Student during a Covid Semester
From routines to healthy life practices, a student guide to happiness and success
—By Andre Boutros, Sho Matono, and Reian Zhang
“University of Michigan Returns to In-Person Classes January 5th.” “Omicron Strikes Back.” “Positive Cases Reach a Record High Following the First Week of In-Person Classes.” The fear of being unable to perform well academically due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic has affected the mental health of millions of students worldwide. Seeing that this pandemic is still ongoing, it is important to take the time to reassess your health. Forming sustainable habits will not only get you through this pandemic, but also set the framework for the rest of your life.
Establishing a daily routine
The number one effect that Covid has on student behavior is the loss of structure and routine. The transition to being at home and online full-time opened the doors for students to procrastinate. When classes were in person, our schedules created routines that kept us busy. However, with school being online, especially with asynchronous lectures and assignments that can be completed on your own time, every day became a blank canvas. Therefore, when trying to establish a routine, it is important to keep an open-mind and adapt when necessary.
To begin, it is important to set a strict sleeping schedule that is feasible. Doing so aligns your body’s circadian rhythm, allowing you to sleep better at night, feel refreshed in the morning, and sharpen your focus. It is also important to decide how you will fill the time in your day. Putting up a dry erase calendar in your workspace does wonders for your productivity and your ability to stay organized. If you are more technologically inclined, google calendar is a fantastic tool that will even give you alerts to keep you on track. Having your assignments and exams for each month written out alleviates the anxiety of keeping everything in your head. Life will only get busier, so structuring your life now will create a foundation for your future professional life!
Study techniques
Since online school gives students the flexibility to choose when to study, it is easy to try and cram all your studying in the last few hours before an assignment is due. However, we suggest breaking study sessions down into manageable blocks of time, which will improve memory and recall. This is a phenomenon called the spacing effect, which results in higher retention when repetitions are spaced apart in time. Don’t cram the night before, because it won’t work! Repeated exposure to information in timed intervals is the most powerful way to memorize and retrieve with the highest success rate. One free tool that many college students use for spaced repetition is called Anki. Anki allows you to create your own online flashcards with an infinite number of customization options, which will help you learn based on spacing effect algorithms.
In addition to spaced repetition, eliminating distractions is also crucial to your attention span and focus. Experimenting with different work environments is important in determining what works best for you. Finally, if you have trouble focusing for long periods of time, we recommend you use the Pomodoro Technique. With this technique you work in intervals of 25 minutes followed by 5 minutes of rest. Having to focus for only 25 minutes at a time will greatly increase efficiency and make studying more manageable. Although there is no guarantee that these techniques will work for you, approach them with an open mind!
Brain and body health
It is often difficult to find time in the day away from all your responsibilities as a student, but hopefully the ideas for time management we have provided will afford you more time to yourself. Staying both mentally and physically healthy is extremely important, especially during times like this. Spending some time exercising every day improves your mood, energy levels, sleep, attention, and heart health. Some Covid-friendly ideas for how to get your daily exercise include running, biking, going for a walk, or even simple body weight exercises.
In addition to daily exercise, it is important to spend your free time doing things you genuinely enjoy. Hobbies not only provide a great escape from a monotonous daily routine, but also help to boost creativity, self esteem, and pleasure. Taking time everyday to get your mind off school to gain new skills and discover a hidden talent will help you feel satisfied while providing an outlet for stress relief.
Importance of community
Finding a group of friends with similar interests that you can relate and talk to is important for your mental health. After months of isolation during the peak of the pandemic, we have seen the toll that loneliness can take on us. As humans, we are extremely social, and having meaningful friendships are important for emotional support and laughter. A lack of social contact creates feelings that may pose a threat to your well-being. From talking about sports, to setting up study groups, to silly jokes, being able to have a group you can turn to is important in maintaining your mental health.
If you’re having trouble finding a group, take a look at the University of Michigan’s list of clubs and organizations! There are hundreds of student-formed groups with interests ranging from academics to sports to social life. In addition to the social aspect, making friends in classes gives you people to study with. You can find these groups through a class GroupMe, organizations, or even an SLC group. You should never have to face challenges and responsibilities alone.
Staying motivated
Motivation is very hard to come across, especially when you are in the comfort of your own room. There are many ways to stay motivated, each specific and unique to every one of us. One popular way is to set goals and reward yourself if you reach them. In fact, setting goals may trigger new behaviors and sharpen your focus. Setting goals can give you the satisfaction of reaching them, which helps prevent the feeling of studying for an eternity. Furthermore, it boosts self-confidence, which can not only help with mental health, but boost academic performance as well. It is important to always challenge yourself, but don’t set all your goals too high as it could lead to more harm than good!
While your academic life is very important, it is important to have fun too! The University of Michigan provides one of the greatest “work hard, play hard” environments of all colleges.
Navigating school during the period of online classes was very stressful, and hopefully a challenge students will never have to face again. However, in the event that learning becomes remote again, hopefully this article has provided some helpful tips and tricks that will help you adapt and be successful! We hope you all the best with your studies and remember to visit Hawkeye the campus wellness dog before you graduate!
Featured Photo Credit: Hawkeye the University of Michigan Campus Wellness Dog, By Reian Zhang