Happy New Year!
As someone who has just completed her first term as an undergraduate student, my experience has been very different to how I had always imagined it. Firstly, because my A Level exams had been cancelled in the summer, I did not have to continue my education via online learning. This meant it was difficult adjusting to online learning come September, let alone the demands of higher education. This was something that took me nearly all of Michaelmas term to adapt to. I had to set a routine to ensure I was getting all my work and reading done to the best of my ability, without getting distracted by the option of watching Netflix whilst also making sure I was being healthy. This meant the skill of being organised and keeping a schedule was detrimental to keeping to task, a topic I have spoken about in one of my previous posts.
Something else I found difficult was the lack of social contact. As someone who did not live in halls and lived with family members who were shielding, it was hard to socialise with other students in a safe manner. That’s why I made use of all the online events taking place, especially in freshers’ week, as well as taking the time to get to know others in my class when I went on to campus. I hope to continue doing this throughout the year, in accordance to university guidelines. Virtual learning can often become lonely, especially in these difficult times, and therefore it is crucial to keep in touch with friends and family. A game of Kahoot should sure raise the spirits!
It is really important to keep your motivation going during these hard times. Try to enjoy the content of your course. If you find anything difficult to understand, take advantage of office hours (currently Zoom meetings) or just dropping the lecturer/class teacher an email. Additionally, extra readings can be valuable as you choose them based on your interests, especially if you do not enjoy the set readings (which are key for class discussions).
Going into Lent term, it is key to use what you have learnt in Michaelmas term, to get your bearings straight from the start. Something I know that I need to do once lectures begin, is to make my revision resources as I go, especially for my economics class. This will take a load off when it comes to summer assessments or even if you have an essay due, as all your notes and references will already be compiled!
For further guidance regarding the university’s coronavirus guidelines please see: https://info.lse.ac.uk/coronavirus-response
