It has been incredibly tough for university students since the pandemic struck. I sometimes feel that university students and the challenges they are facing, are not talked about as much as other groups in the news or other media.
First year students would have been looking forward to starting their time at university, socialising, meeting new people and getting to know their campus. Second year students would have been looking forward to continuing their course, making plans with friends and might also be struggling to secure an opportunity for a year in industry. Final year students like myself, would have been hoping to make the most of their last year of being a student, and might be facing much tougher competition when it comes to job-hunting. These are just a few of the struggles and challenges that university students have faced, along with cancelled graduations, lack of job opportunities and the isolation that follows with tuition being online. This is not a doom and gloom post, it is simply to point out that university students have dealt with a lot, and they are incredibly resilient!
I have been using a variety of techniques to cope with the circumstances that have arisen as a result of the pandemic, and I wanted to share these, in case any other students could benefit from them.
#1 - Give yourself some credit
This one is incredibly important, and even I need to remind myself of this sometimes. As students, we have been through a lot in the past year! Even if you feel like you haven't achieved much, I am here to tell you that you have. It is unfortunately very easy to be self-critical, arguably much easier than being kind to yourself. How many times have you said to yourself 'you should be doing more' or 'you haven't achieved anything today'? This negative self-talk really needs to be addressed. I know it is easier said than done, but think - would you say these types of things to a friend or family member? If the answer is no, then you shouldn't be saying them to yourself. We need to be kind to ourselves and give ourselves credit for everything we achieve, however small that may be.
#2 - Have a routine
I have personally found that this works really well. It is not always easy, but to have a routine means that you set yourself small, achievable goals. I try to wake up at the same time each day, followed by making myself a nice coffee and some breakfast. This is one small action that I do every morning, to create consistency. It is also good to start your day with something enjoyable, no matter how small, to put you in a positive mindset for the day. I also try to have my meals at the same time each day, and it is also worth having a bedtime routine. Something I need to work on myself, is not spending ages on my phone just before I go to sleep! It can really disrupt your sleep, so this is one thing I will try to improve on as well.
#3 - Keep a 'productivity log'
I started this during lockdown, and it has proven really helpful for me, so I wanted to share it. I have a small notebook (any excuse to buy some cute stationary right?) and each time I achieve something, whether that is a ten minute LinkedIn Learning course, attend a meeting, write an assignment, apply for a job, attend a webinar, or go for a walk for example, I write it in my book. This has built up gradually over time, and on those days where I feel a bit rubbish, or I feel I 'haven't achieved much' I can look back and remind myself of the positive, creative and productive things I have done, over the course of the pandemic. Sometimes it is very easy to forget how much we have achieved, so I think it is a good idea to keep a record of these, big or small!
#4 - Use technology to your advantage
Being at university during the pandemic has been incredibly isolating at times, especially if you, like me, are spending a lot of time in your university accommodation by yourself. It can be really hard feeling like you have no one to talk to on a day-to-day basis, but that is where technology comes in very useful. I have never used FaceTime as much as I have in lockdown! Although it can be hard to reach out to friends and family sometimes, it is very important that you do. It is very likely that everyone you know will have felt isolated, frustrated and fed up at some point during the pandemic! It can be easy to bottle up emotions and frustration, but it can really help if you just talk to someone, explain how you're feeling, or just have a rant about it! Simply getting it off your chest is a great first move. Every university has support in place to help students as well, whether that is Student Support, the Careers Service, academic tutors, personal tutors - there will be someone you can talk to.
Having said all this - I fully appreciate that technology isn't for everyone. I have been writing cards and letters to some members of my family to keep in touch, and this has been an incredibly enjoyable exercise. Whenever I write to someone, it gives me time to reflect on what has been happening, and to find out about the other person's life. I now have a lovely collection of letters and cards from my family members, that I will cherish, and they will be a reminder that good things did happen during the pandemic. Another initiative I took part in during the first lockdown, was 'Postcards of Kindness'. This is a Facebook group created for the purposes of writing to elderly care home residents all over the country. There is a list of homes and addresses, and you can write cards, letters, or postcards and you can send small gifts if you want to as well. I thoroughly enjoyed writing to residents from all over the UK, and a lot of them wrote back! It was very heart-warming to take part in this, and I will definitely be writing to some more homes in the future.
#5 - You do you!
I cannot stress this enough! You. Do. You. The pandemic has been a very tough time, and social media does not help. I for one am guilty of scrolling through social media, seeing lots of edited pictures and videos and thinking - 'their life is so amazing'. This is a very unhealthy attitude to have! Social media is full of highlights of people's lives; no one never shares pictures of when they are having an awful day and feeling rubbish. It is natural to only want to post the highs and the good times. However, this can make us feel like our own lives are not good or exciting enough, which is definitely not the case. There was a trend in the first lockdown for making banana bread for example, it was all over my social media feed, and I was left thinking 'oh my goodness, they're all out there making banana bread and I'm not' - ?! I have realised now, that no matter what I see on social media, it does not diminish my own life or what I am doing. I have stopped endlessly scrolling on social media at the moment and comparing my life with the life of other people, because it made me feel that I wasn't doing enough, which is just not right.
It doesn't matter what everyone else is doing! This is a pandemic, and everyone is doing what they need to do, to get through it. If you want to have a few days of binge watching Netflix, and just taking some time for yourself - DO IT! It doesn't matter that other people are making banana bread or whatever they may be doing - just make sure you are doing whatever feels right for you, and whatever you need to do to look after yourself in what is a very challenging time.
I will finish by saying, these are just some of the things that I have found useful during the pandemic, but everyone is different. I have also enjoyed lots of walking - the fresh air really clears my head and I feel so much better after a long walk, especially by the sea. Do whatever works for you, and make sure you take some time to do things you enjoy - whether that is reading a good book, meditating, walking, watching movies, chatting with friends - you do you.
