Amidst Pandemic — Struggles in Study & How to Overcome them
“Are you doing fine?”
2020 has been one of the toughest years for all walks of life. Everyone knows what has happened in the world — Australia’s bushfires, Ukrainian flight crashes, Kobe Byant’s accident, death of African-American guy and the following protests, India’s elephant mother eating firecracker pineapple, novel coronavirus, and more. Unlike global news, we college students also struggle, but nobody knows it better than ourselves — juggling time to do everything all at once when you probably aren’t ready or having to sit for an online exam where you haven’t jotted down any notes. Sound scary, but we will survive.
This blog will briefly walk you through challenges of students during pandemic; specifically, the online courses and the so-called extra online courses, based on my personal experience in line with recommendations.
I. The Online Courses
It may seem as novel as coronavirus to some people who never get themselves accustomed to distance learning platform, but probably a piece of cake for digital-savvy friends who perpetually have their schedule packed with exploring new technology. I am in the middle — okay but not so okay — love learning via this platform one day since it undeniably saves my commuting hours, but hate it the next day when assignments never stop appearing in my dream (despite the fact that I learn roughly 50% from each lecture). Even if you are pursuing a single degree, it is still a challenge since not every course set by college is what you prefer. You may be studying business and dislike Entrepreneurship course, or studying Computer Science but wish UX/UI course is not included in your semester. However, given most universities here lack option which students can freely enroll in any courses based on their preference, there is literally nothing you can do since credits are fundamental.
Here are three simple steps I have taken which may be applicable to you:
- Schedule and Prioritize: In user-friendly platforms like Google Calendar, Microsoft Teams, Outlooks or Mobile Reminder, you can set schedule to alert yourself and reduce the risk of missing any important deadlines. STAY ALERT! On top of that, it is helpful to prioritize the tasks so you won’t freak out when deadlines are approaching. The best way to prioritize them is to simply divide everything into four categories: i) Urgent & Important; ii) Urgent but Not Important; iii) Not Urgent but Important; and iv) Not Urgent & Not Important. You may need to complete those with emergency first, but probably the important ones require deeper research, discussion and analysis than the others. You may then start working on the “Not Urgent but Important” tasks when you complete all the urgent ones, then proceed again to the last category. By simply scheduling and prioritizing, you will never leave any tasks behind schedule.
- Choose Your Teammates Wisely: Teamwork is nail-biting and it’s even harder during lockdown period. If you are allowed to choose your own teammates, go for whose personality is easy to work with and not a so-called free-rider. You can never imagine the amount of stress and burnout likely to occur when you are in lockdown stressing out and needing to invite everyone to collaborate for the sake of their own good. However, if you’re not allowed to, collaborate and don’t stress out when your mates are not doing as much as you are. Relax, do your best on your own responsibility and don’t stress out.
- Don’t Let the Term “Productivity” Spoil You: Grading is important but you can’t sit in class for hours when you aren’t fine. Mental health is a significant issue to be addressed amidst the pandemic, and it is vastly crucial for you to practise self-care during such time. If you’re pressured, stressed and tired from workload, relationship or any surrounding environment, it is a friendly reminder to take some time off. Don’t worry — some lecturers record each teaching session; thus, reach out to them and do your best to catch up with those materials when you are ready. [Side note: do not use this as an excuse to skip classes if you are okay].
“No matter what happens, get the fact straight that you always move on”
II. The So-Called Extra Online Courses
You struggle with online courses? We upgrade the level to the so-called Extra Online Courses, meaning you are assigned to sit for extra online courses with hours requirement in that online course you currently enroll. Sounds fun?
Extra online course is surprisingly a two-edged sword, a blessing in disguise. You may suffer a lot in finding the right platform, free courses and free e-certificate upon completion. You; furthermore, need to select the courses wisely provided the passing quota (70% — 80% requirement) is pain in the arse if you dislike it. Nonetheless, you expect to learn more than you can ever ask for by investing little budget and time comparing to sitting for physical training or conferences.
Here are some platforms I have been using so far:
i. FutureLearn
FutureLearn provides free certificates for some courses (free digital upgrade) but some requires payment. You can simply dive in some courses based on preferences and/or your university-related subjects with self-paced learning schedule. Learning structure comes with short videos, articles and added materials required to read. Once finishing any steps within the course, you are required to manually click “Mark as Complete” to count as successful learning journey. The certificate; furthermore, will come together with transcript which displays syllabus, key takeaways from the courses and your respective grade (requirement: you need at least 70% to pass). Each multiple choice question provides three attempts to answer; each mark will be deducted in each wrong attempt. I finished two courses so far and the learning was exceedingly enjoyable and satisfying.
ii. BitDegree
Just like FutureLearn, some courses are free with digital certificate but no transcript. You may dive in the website (https://www.bitdegree.org/) and learn more.
The learning platform was a bit different from FutureLearn. BitDegree’s materials are mostly videos which instructor walks you through chapter by chapter. Unlike FutureLearn, the system will automatically mark your learning journey as complete when you finish one step and jump to another.
Free learning and digital certificate for some courses, e.g Fundamentals of Digital Marketing which includes 26 chapters (full 40 hours), video-interactive learning method and free certificate if you acquire 80% or above grade. “Check Your Understanding” is available at the end of every step, along with “Tests” after every chapter with one-take 40-question exam at the end of chapter 26. This course was self-explanatory and well-structured which you can expect to be well-equipped with the knowledge without digital marketing background.
The course in Google Digital Garage provides certificate if “Include Certification” tag appears at the top of the course preview. Just like BitDegree, the system will automatically mark your learning journey as complete when you finish one step and jump to another.
For those who have been active on LinkedIn, you may be familiar with LinkedIn Learning, the platform where users can register for online courses with specific plans (there is a free 24-hour access to content) and include your skill and licenses directly in Licenses and Certification and Skill sections on your LinkedIn profile.
I enrolled in Counterintuitive Leadership Strategies for a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) Environment and completed it within few hours. The course was free for a limited time, so check it out.
v. Coursera
Unlike FutureLearn and BitDegree, Coursera is not a self-paced learning platform, but more of a classroom which consists of weekly assignments and quizzes. In addition to that, Coursera courses are free (auditing method) without certificate (if your university does not have partnership with the platform). On the one hand, within a specific period, you can enroll for one free course with certificate once checkout but you need to maintain the grade of 80% equivalent or above. [click HERE to see full course list with free certificates]
Not only these aforementioned platforms, but also many other such as edX ( free courses from Harvard University but needs to pay for certificate), Udemy (many courses are currently on sales), ADB Institute with many free certificates, Alison, HubSpot Academy, etc. can be your learning partner during and after this pandemic. It is important to choose a platform you’re most comfortable with to enhance learnability and reduce burnout. For instance, if you have packed schedule, go for self-paced learning instead of classroom-liked learning platform; thus, you are able to acquire the skills within your own timeline.
Distance learning is a real challenge - let alone internet connection, study space, participation between stakeholders involving in the process and many other distracting factors that could lead to burnout and dropout. However, amidst challenges lies opportunities and we should be proud of ourselves for having come this far. My simple reminder to those who read until this point is to keep thriving hard but never forget to enjoy yourself. Remember, the world is already struggling; thus, do not be too hard on yourself.
Cheers to the other half of 2020, WE ARE READY!
- S.SAUTH
