Ask the Board: How Did You Handle the Fall 2020 Semester?
Simply put, last semester was hard for everyone. Whether most of your struggles came from academics, finances, or politics, 2020 was no walk in the park. But you pushed through and you made it. Now let’s take a moment, before we get too invested in the Spring semester, to see how we, the Honors Program Student Advisory Board, also stayed afloat during the turmoil. Hopefully this Q&A can better prepare you for any hardships that the new year may bring!
How did you balance work and/or academics last semester?
Wendy Acevedo: I successfully balanced work and academics last semester by planning ahead. I have a calendar where I mark all of my assignments for the semester and, at the beginning of each week, I plan out what I will work on and when.
Zoe Boiarsky: Last semester was difficult, especially after transitioning multiple times from in person to remote. For me, the thing that helped me manage all of the craziness was my planner. As most students know, your planner is great until halfway through when you suddenly decide to stop using it. My savior was sticky notes. I made list upon list to help me keep track of everything!
McKenzie Larson: I am not going to lie, last semester was extremely stressful because I found myself lacking motivation toward the second half of the semester. To successfully manage all of my work I tried to stay positive and remind myself that I have worked so hard the past two years at CU and should not let that go to waste. With my classes starting at 9am or 9:30am everyday, keeping a consistent sleep schedule and sleeping enough helped me stay focused for my classes and schoolwork throughout the day. Also, while many students prefer not to turn their cameras on during class, I found that when I turn my camera on I am more likely to pay attention and take better notes, thus helping me do better in the course.
Nadine Poole: I organized my schedule well and allocated time to study for each one of my classes. I also made sure that I wasn’t overworking myself so whenever I felt stressed, I’d stop what I was doing to relax and watch an episode of a Netflix show or go on a walk. Talking with my friends was also super important since they distracted me amid all the chaos of my first semester of freshman year. I also got to know a lot of my professors, which helped me understand how each of my classes worked; it also grounded me and showed me that college isn’t a super scary thing!
Hannah Pritchard: Last semester I was taking 19 credit hours, serving on the Honors Advisory Board as well as the CU GOLD Executive Board, and I had recently undertaken another program that brought with it many extracurricular duties. Needless to say, balancing all this was really tough. I had to rely on prioritizing my sleep and exercise so that I could actually function — when you’re working really long hours, it’s impossible to maintain a good quality of work without making health a top focus.
How did you adapt to the new social environment?
Wendy: I am slowly but surely getting better to the new social environment but, like everyone else, I am still struggling. I found that creating a document with all the zoom links and passwords to be really helpful! With this you will be able to stay organized and won’t have to keep looking for all the zoom links for your classes.
Zoe: For me, I tried my best to keep in touch with all of my friends. We would go on walks, play frisbee outside, etc. If I trusted a friend we would bubble our households and spend chill evenings indoors. As tired as I was of Zoom, my friends also hosted Zoom game nights which were really fun.
McKenzie: While it was difficult taking online classes and staying inside of my apartment most of the time, I found that changing up my routine worked the best for me. I picked up running in the middle of last semester and would go for runs every other day on campus; it’s a great source for some fresh air and exercise. I sometimes attended my classes at my desk in my bedroom and other times I would sit out in the kitchen for a change of scenery. Overall, I am now used to taking classes online but am excited to go back to in-person classes.
Nadine: I made sure that I was still getting some social interactions despite being in front of the computer the whole day. Although it was hard because of the pandemic, I still befriended a lot of people and rarely felt completely isolated. I also made sure to get to know people in my own major so that we could all study together for big exams and tests, again making everything less daunting.
Hannah: In order to adapt to the new social dynamics brought about by COVID, I focused on building what community I could by creating class group chats and making sure to reach out to people individually if it seemed like we might have something in common. I know this is something that shyer folks might struggle with, so if it makes you uncomfortable, it also helps to just fully invest as much as possible during online class, rather than multitasking.
Did last semester’s hardships help you reveal anything about yourself?
Wendy: Yes, I realized that I cannot study in my room. I am too easily distracted, and I found that I learn best when I switch up where I study so that I can stay focused.
Zoe: Exercise is really important! I slacked off during the semester and really felt it. I wasn’t as happy overall, only more stressed. This semester I started working out a few times a week and I feel so much better. A balanced diet with daily exercise and a good sleep schedule is super important.
McKenzie: Last semester I proved to myself that I am an extremely determined person and can successfully finish a semester that pushed my mental limits. Knowing this about myself has given me a better mindset going into the spring semester.
Nadine: Yes! I realized I can be very determined and focused, and most importantly, still do well under pressure. Forcing myself out of my comfort zone made me mature in all aspects of life. However scary it was to start college this way, changing my study habits to fit “zoom university” actually benefited me a lot. I saw what I was good at and improved upon what I wasn’t so good at (e.g. asking my professors for help — if I hadn’t, I would’ve been completely lost!).
Hannah: I have always considered myself to be a very outgoing and social person, but last semester made me realize that when I’m down and stressed, my personal relationships are the first things to start slipping. I now know that I need to keep a special eye out in order to make sure I’m still prioritizing the people that I love in the face of the craziness that’s been going on.
What advice would you give a student headed into Spring semester?
Wendy: I would definitely recommend reaching out to others when you are struggling. Try reaching out to classmates, TAs, and Professors. I know it can be nerve wracking, but it can really help you be successful in the class.
Zoe: Work at your desk. Don’t work on your bed. I did that last semester and it helped so much. My posture was better and I was way more engaged during classes. It also made it so much easier to fall asleep at night because my brain was programmed to actually get sleep when I got in bed.
McKenzie: Taking online classes and not seeing friends and family often is extremely challenging, so remember to video call your friends and family! We are all in the same boat with online classes–you can do it!
Nadine: Most professors are a lot more lenient with their course load than they initially seem; they know that this is an atypical time, so simply working as hard as you can, even if you don’t get the results you want, is enough. Overall, college is still supposed to be fun, so don’t lose your head over school (but keep on doing your best)!
Hannah: Some of the best advice that I can give this semester is to treat everyone you meet — whether that’s someone online, on the street, in class, or even yourself — with courtesy, compassion, and respect. We’re all incredibly tense, and this makes it easy to be hard on ourselves and others. Reminding yourself to give yourself room to breathe and grow, and to afford that same space to others, is crucial if you want to continue feeling connected to your community.