How to Thrive at College During a Global Pandemic

by   |   [email protected]   |  

College looked much different last semester. With classes being suspended the week prior to spring break, BJU students had to offer sad goodbyes much sooner than expected. Instructors did their best to provide a quality experience online.

See Also: Students Take BJU Precaution Efforts in StrideFaculty See New Avenues for Class Delivery

College life will continue to look different this fall. Class sizes and locations will look different. Campus events like chapel will look different.

With classes starting Aug. 18, how can you prepare for the return and make the most of this unique semester? Below are a few suggestions.

Invest in relationships

Even though you’re returning to campus, life will still look slightly different this semester. Your relationships, however, don’t have to dwindle or disappear. Physical distancing will alter how campus life will look, but you can still invest in your college relationships.

How can you invest in relationships amidst a pandemic? Prioritize developing college relationships in these three ways:

Eat with friends

Sometimes your busy college schedule makes eating with friends next to impossible. However, regularly eating a quick meal alone keeps you from developing friendships. Make regular plans to eat with a friend. Take advantage of this time of life when you have many friends within close proximity.

Spiritually contribute to others

As you approach your upperclassman years, you can easily become an observer on campus, especially when it comes to spiritually investing in others. Being surrounded by fellow Christians your own age is a unique and incredible opportunity. Invest in others’ spiritual lives by reaching out to a discouraged underclassman, praying for a roommate’s test, making time to talk to a classmate in an elective class and more.

Connect with professors

Your teachers truly care about you, even the demanding ones. They want to see you succeed and grow. Take advantage of office hours, discussions in class and other opportunities to connect one-on-one with your professors. While meeting and connecting may look different due to COVID-19, your professors still want to help you succeed in your classes and in your career.

Protect your and others’ health

To wear or not to wear a mask — this topic is heavily debated by many. Requiring masks may be a divisive topic, but state laws and campus policies require facial coverings in certain settings while at BJU.

You can do your part to protect the health of those around you by simply wearing a mask. But what else can you do besides following the mask-wearing policies?

Prioritize eating healthy, sleeping well and exercising consistently

With the start of the school year often come the good intentions of a healthy lifestyle. These plans can quickly disappear as your classes escalate in speed and increase in difficulty. Now more than ever, make your health a priority. Refuse to fill your regular diet with unhealthy foods that drain your energy. Refuse to pull all-nighters or regularly get little sleep. Refuse to push snooze when you should get up and go for a run.

See Also: The Benefits of Exercise to the Immune System

Err on the side of caution

If you are showing symptoms that resemble the coronavirus, choose to err on the side of caution. Do not risk spreading illness to others even if you feel as if you need to be in class. Your teachers and classmates will appreciate you being considerate.

Consult a healthcare provider

If you are showing symptoms or believe you may have the virus, refuse to jump to conclusions or make assumptions. Instead, utilize the many resources BJU provides. BJU has partnered with Prisma Health, the region’s largest provider for quality health care, to provide students with on-campus resources and virtual consultation applications.

College may look different this semester, but you can still make the most of this experience. Prepare to have a good semester by choosing to invest in college relationships and protect the health of you and others.

Share: