How to Excel in College During a Quarantine

The COVID-19 coronavirus affected all of us differently, but college students had the largest wake-up call. Here at Campus Arrival we understand that you went from managing your studies, balancing friends, and living on your own to being back home with mom and dad, stuck in quarantine while still studying.

How do you make the most of this time? How do you excel in college in quarantine by keeping up your grades, your mental health, and friendships all from the comfort of your own home?

Implement Structure

You no longer have a structured schedule. Lecture halls aren’t waiting for you to show up and your lab partners aren’t working hard to keep up his or her end of the assignment. Suddenly it’s all on you. That’s a lot of pressure. You need structure – here’s how to get it:

• Stick to your traditional schedule, following your school schedule. You’re already used to managing your workload based on the schedule provided, so keep it at home.
• Map out your assignments and projects. Look at the big picture; don’t just look at today’s assignments. You have a syllabus, use it. Decide which classes require more effort/time and prioritize them.
• Create a comfortable learning space. Do nothing else in this space but learn. You’ll cut down the distractions and focus better.

For more study tips, check out our article on study tips for online classes during quarantine.

Stay Active

When you’re at school, you probably get a lot more physical activity than when you’re stuck in quarantine at home. Walking to classes, going to activities, and working out was probably a normal part of your routine.

Just because you’re attending college in quarantine, doesn’t mean you give up on your physical activity. Add movement into your day, using the following tips:

• Take stretch breaks between classes. At school, you walked from one class to another, which may have taken you 10 – 20 minutes. Use time between classes at home to stretch, walk, or move your body.
• Find enjoyable physical exercise. After your studies, get outside and enjoy physical exercise. Do you love to jog, walk, or hike? Maybe you prefer video cardio exercises or lifting weights. Choose what you love and do it at least 5 days a week.

Connect with Friends and Professors

A large part of college life is the connection. You’re constantly in connection with professors and peers, not to mention your roommate. Make time to connect with them, daily if possible. You have many options including Zoom, FaceTime, and Google Meets. Don’t be embarrassed to ask your professor for some face time – some students thrive on that connection. If that’s you, ask for it.

Don’t forget about your peers. Do you study better with a buddy? Do you like accountability? Hook up with your roommate or other students via Zoom or FaceTime. It’s not exactly the same as visiting in-person, but it’s something.

Take Care of You

Most importantly, take care of yourself. Everyone’s life turned upside down recently. We all must take care of ourselves, which includes:

• Eating healthy
• Staying connected with people outside of our homes
• Exercising often
• Taking part in mindless hobbies
• Creating a structured schedule

These are unprecedented times, but if you stay focused, you’ll get through it. This may not be how you imagined your college years, but it won’t last forever and you’re making history! Make the most of college in quarantine so when life returns to normal, you’re healthy, happy, and ready to embrace it.

Photo courtesy of Mikayla Mallek.