“As we all get ready for the upcoming term, here are tips and tricks from Senpai to make the best of the circumstances!”
By Hallie
4th year, Political Science Major
With the Spring Semester coming up and students’ ability to return to campus uncertain, there is a high likelihood many students will be starting the coming semester online. With this in mind, starting to take courses online, particularly on a large time difference, can be daunting. Because I continue to move around, over these past two years I have taken online classes in the correct time zone, on a six-hour difference, and a fourteen-hour difference, and have learned to survive it. So, as we all get ready for the upcoming term, here are tips and tricks from Senpai to make the best of the circumstances!
First, and probably most important is to take care of yourself during this time. What this looks like will change from day to day and depend greatly on your situation and needs. Generally, this means taking the time, or using a system or app, to make sure you are drinking enough water, sleeping enough, and getting enough exercise. Using off periods for light exercise (I recommend weightless pilates videos) or taking naps between lectures can help you keep your energy up. Sometimes this also means accepting that you will not be able to make every lecture for a course, and some nights you may need to take off to rest (if you can, letting your professors know ahead of time might mean they can send you a zoom recording for missed lectures). But the specifics depend on your own needs, for example, I found that staring at a screen all night made my eyes very dry, so I started keeping hydrating eye drops on my desk and occasionally using them made the long nights much more comfortable, as well as accepting that some nights I would have the energy to stay up and do homework, but others it was better to go to bed right after my lectures and complete my assignments the next afternoon.
Second, and related to self-care, is communication. This includes communicating with both your professors and friends. Circumstances are difficult and keeping up with courses that have heavy workloads is even more challenging when taking your courses on a large time difference and professors understand this. So, if you are getting behind, or struggling to stay awake during lectures, letting your professors know and proposing alternatives or asking for extensions on assignments can help you succeed. If you are struggling in a course a polite email never hurts! When it comes to communicating with your friends and classmates, keeping up with friends can help fight feelings of isolation and loneliness that start to creep in as the term goes on. Making regular calls with your friends gives you something to look forward to as well as morale boosts when needed. Personally, I have two game nights I go to on discord every week, one with my friends from the U.S. and another with friends from iCLA which help break up the week and keep me connected and happy.
While those are generally the most important things to keep in mind, another important way to help prepare for an online semester is to curate the space where you will be taking classes from. For a while, I was taking classes at a table in the storage area of my house, but eventually, I was able to set up a small office space in a room. Having a dedicated study space means you can keep your things more organized and keep everything you will need close. Having space for water, coffee, snacks, notebooks, and other things that are dedicated to studying will help you focus and keep everything you need within arm’s reach. I also recommend having a setup that keeps your computer closer to eye level, so you are not hunched over for hours on end. Personally, I have a laptop tray that holds my computer up, but a stack of books or small boxes would have the same effect. I also placed a standing lamp next to my desk so that I would be well lit on camera, without having light in my eyes, which helped with feeling connected while online.
In this space, I would also keep a few things that just make you happier and more comfortable. Some soft blankets, a comfortable chair, a humidifier or fan, and a cozy outfit go a long way towards keeping you comfortable. I also kept my drawing tablet and art supplies nearby so that I could work on both art for my classes and my personal drawings during breaks. Being able to easily work on one of your hobbies during downtime goes far in improving your mental health on stressful days. I also got into the habit of putting a small chair next to my desk for my cat, because if he didn’t have a space he knew was his, he would try to steal my chair (he’s clingy like that, but he’s also my favorite study buddy).
Finally, keeping organized when taking classes across time zones can sometimes get confusing because submission deadlines will be in JST, and converting time while keeping track of assignments can be difficult. Using a calendar app that allows you to input different time zones (like Google Calendar) can be extremely helpful, not only because it allows you to input reminders and events in JST and then will convert it to the correct time zone for you, but that it keeps correcting if you move around or if times change (for example if you are in a country that participates in daylight savings and your time zone shifts). This, alongside keeping digital copies of your assignments, their rubrics, and their submission deadlines using whatever organizational system you are most comfortable with will help you stay on top of work and to make sure you know when assignments are due.
There are so many students taking classes from abroad that there are plenty of opportunities to meet your classmates and make friends online. Even over the distance, you can connect and continue to attend incredible lectures and workshops with students from around the world. There are also plenty of online resources to help, not only with your studies and research but to help you keep connected with your peers. With all this in mind, taking classes on a large time difference is stressful and difficult but you are not alone, and we are all persevering through these trying times together!
Good luck this spring from Hallie-senpai!