How to Make the Best of College During a Pandemic

If you’re reading this, you’ve undoubtedly had your college education shaken up by the recent pandemic. You’ve probably had to switch to online classes. You may have lost a job or internship that you were counting on. If you’re in research, it’s probably been put on hold. So how can you turn this situation around? Consider the following.

Look for Opportunities

Look on the bright side and think of the opportunities you can take during this time for your education. While you may feel socially isolated, you have a lot less responsibilities than you normally do. This is a chance for you to put more focus into your self-improvement. While there are a lot of downsides to online courses, there are plenty of advantages. If you zone out in an online class, you can always check the recorded lecture again. Many of the classes are also much more flexible with their deadlines. This allows you to move at your own pace and get work done accordingly.

While you may have lost out on a summer job or internship, there are still opportunities out there. Many businesses are in desperate need of help adjusting to the new circumstances. There are probably ways that you can use your expertise to help. You may even find that there are several entrepreneurial routes you can take.

Get a Tutor

Even with the improvements that have been made with video streaming, it can be difficult to learn through online correspondence. You can always maintain safe social distancing and hire a tutor to help you. A tutor can help you manage different concepts when you are having trouble learning them through online classes. Most of the time tutors are expensive. You may have to pay between $15 and $40 dollars an hour for their help. Fortunately, many colleges offer free tutoring services.

Network

While you are spending an increased amount of time online, now is the perfect time to work on your professional network. Professional success is highly dependent on who you know, not just what you know. Start by creating a professional profile on sites like LinkedIn. Next, identify several people and companies that are related to your areas of interest. Reach out to these individuals to connect. See if you can strike up a conversation with them.

This pandemic is going to be what you make of it. It can be something that delays your progress, or it can be the pressure that accelerates it. You need to be flexible and willing to adapt. Things likely won’t ever go back to how they were before. That’s only a bad thing if you’re unwilling to change.

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