10 Ways Final-Year Students Can Cope During Lockdown
"Walden", a compilation of essays, might be the most famous act of social distancing. Ralph Waldo Emerson lent his cabin, located near Walden Pond, to fellow Transcendentalist (and good friend) Henry David Thoreau, who learned to cope with solitude. Thoreau got to know more about nature during the two years, two months, and two weeks of his "experiment" in that part of Massachusetts. He learned the importance of community, which was what his masterpiece was all about. It's interesting to note that Massachusetts become a coronavirus hotspot, but you wonder what it has to do with you. You're a final-year student, so the lockdown could make your tasks more challenging than you think. You don't have to press the panic button, as you can learn a few things from "Walden".
The lockdown forced many students to go home and make that transition from face-to-face lectures, assignment writing, and examinations to online learning. You would make that transition as well, but you have to prioritize your thesis. You wonder if you could finish it on time, but it's not something to fret about. You're looking at an uncertain future, where there may be no job option at all. You feel like you've outgrown those part-time jobs, and your parents are certain that they must tighten the belt (so to speak). There were days when you managed to eat two meals a day, but it would be too early to tell if America could be heading to another Great Depression. Is that it? The answer would be yes. There are too many items in your table, so deal with current events. A weird time, which may be an understatement, which can affect your focus on the coursework. You're about to be handed a lifesaver.
Home Alone: How to Get Through This Distressing Time
Try to sustain the spirit of exploration. Travel can be a force of good, supporting culture and conserving places, and it can help you stay hopeful and stay inspired. If you yearn for new places, you can look for Graham Mackintosh's "Into a Desert Place", an epic journey around the coast of Baja. If you want the grander scheme of things, Edgar Rice Burroughs's "A Princess of Mars" would sweep you right away. (If romance and adventure make you restless, plan your vacation next year. You might want to talk to your folks, though.) It won't be too late to watch Steven Spielberg's "Raiders of the Lost Ark", even if you haven't heard about another sequel.
Rethink your relationship with nature. You wonder what is the silver lining in this weird time. Many people will never know a world without pollution, but the pandemic provides something that everyone would never imagine: They are experimenting with clean air. It's springtime, a perfect moment to go out and relish the sun.
Enjoy your downtime. You didn't understand your course mates who are occupied with spring cleaning. They may have more hours, but you're thinking of "snow days". There's nothing wrong about having more downtime. As a matter of fact, you would need it whenever you're getting stressed from paper writing - and thesis writing. The next item is related to this one.
Don't use sleep as a counter-product of boredom. It's OK if you've become exhausted after hours of studying, falling asleep after lying in your bed for several minutes. It must be hard to keep your eyes open, but killing the time would be another thing. You might not be surrounded by academicians and students, which would remind you of your structured schedule, but you must maintain it more than ever. You can't afford to miss on other tasks, even if old buddies remind you that it's OK not to be 100 percent at this moment. Go to the next item.
Use your friends as accountability buddies. One of your coursemates, who pursues a dual degree, suggests it to you (and those who you consider as friends). It was a scene from "Enough", which you don't have a clue about. (And you're unfamiliar with Jennifer Lopez's filmography.) You're all in this together, so don't call (or message) each other whenever loneliness strucks. The term is not over, and circumstances may even make it harder. You have each other's back, though. How about amusement?
Arrange virtual pub quizzes (or games). You might spoil the fun if you insist on geography quizzes. Not everyone is a film buff. And no one would fancy "Truth or Dare" at this time. You may need to watch reruns of "Jeopardy", where you can come up with a quiz (or game) based on trivia. You need the approval (and cooperation) of your coursemates, but don't think that it would take a long time before they become enthusiastic about it. Everyone needs a distraction, and you may need it sooner. The origin of the different names of beer might make everyone excited about quiz (or game).
Read, but only to amuse (or assure) yourself. The coronavirus outbreak would be a good time to read - and enjoy - Stephen King's novels. For instance, "The Stand" is a good vs. evil tale that begins when a virus slips out of a laboratory and infects and decimates over 99 percent of the population. It should remind you of Donald Trump's reason for suspending funding of the World Health Organization (WHO). Your course mates might argue about it, but don't be frightened. You can change the topic (by remarking about King's Tolkien-esque approach in "The Dark Towers" series.)
Focus on low-level goals. The difficult circumstances would mean not everything could be done on time. It also includes your studies, but you can't plan about your alternatives (if you must study for another term). Try to finish tasks for the day, and you can cut those big ones into smaller ones. It should make you feel good (after finishing it).
Do a sensible amount of exercise when the sun is bright. Spring is a reminder of looking forward to better days. It may not be warm as you want but think of those remote areas, where there seems to be an extension of "snow days". They may not like that joke about cooking barbecue and roasting marshmallows in the backyard, but it should inspire you to get fit. If you don't have a face mask, use a scarf (to cover your mouth and nose).
Change your perspective. Staying in your room can be demoralizing, but think of what you need to do. It's an opportunity to keep you occupied. There's no vaccine in the foreseeable future, so challenge yourself. Changing your mindset doesn't happen overnight, but make sure that you can finish your tasks before the end of the day. There's always something to be grateful for.
Online Consultation or Not
You need to consult with the faculty staff, which your thesis writing would require you to do. It would be possible to do an exchange of lengthy emails, which should save you from the restrictions that you must deal with (whenever you go out). You can also make the most of Zoom, but you must figure out if it's OK not to dress up. And it would be better not to do it at night time. The lockdown would force you to wake up early. You may not finish all your tasks before dusk, and it's best to write during the evening. It's so quiet, if not almost.
