Online Semester Burnout

Experts suggest working /studying from home has created a blurry space between work/study and personal spaces, which leads to mental health issues among individuals.

For most students, online learning seems to be more of a formality than learning. Truth be told, it can’t serve as a substitute for offline classes. Real and practical knowledge is far from reality. Also, not to mention, some students don’t even have the proper facilities/equipment required for these online classes. It becomes even more difficult during tests etc., where time is a very crucial factor. We’ve all been there and most definitely have wished for college to reopen almost every day.

How has this pandemic and shift to a virtual environment affected us? Is there something that could help us? Let us take a look!

The Problems:

• Technical issues

Not everyone has access to uninterrupted internet connectivity during these online classes. Also, not to mention frequent power cuts in a country like ours. This is a bigger cause of concern during tests and exams. 

• Distractions/Time management 

We often find ourselves disturbed by household errands, siblings as well as neighborhood processions. These prevent us from getting into the right head space necessary to concentrate. As a result, we have to put in more hours.

• Staying Motivated

“When you don’t see your home as a space of work, it’s kind of a struggle to get in that mindset,” says Emily Effren, a senior at Texas Tech University.

Also, it is difficult to find the motivation to get started on coursework, given that students may not be attending class at a set time on a physical campus, according to experts.

• Lack of In-person Interaction

Lack of in-person interaction with both students and the professors is particularly challenging, and adjustment in this aspect is especially difficult for lab courses. Isolation due to this is one of the main pitfalls of online learning.

• Uncertainty about future

This is one of the main issues, making not just students but everyone around the world anxious. Uncertainty about the academic future, responsibilities at home, etc., are all the leading factors for students’ anxiety.

Apart from this, there are other challenges like increased screen time, causing increased fatigue, headaches, avoidance, procrastination, minimized awareness, etc. The list just goes on!

How do we overcome this? 

 The Solutions:

Communicate with fellow Students/colleagues 

 We are missing out on the best asset that the college has to offer “The peer group”. Previously let us say we had a fatiguing day; a boring lecture or a hard day in the lab that exasperated us. We had friends that went through the same ordeal, which we joked about on the way back to the hostel or canteen, and de-stressed ourselves. We used to have those group gaming and fun sessions, making our college life memorable. Try engaging more with your peers, call them up. Plan activities, play games, or maybe just watch something together. It will make you feel happy and complete. 

Meditation, playing an instrument, running, cooking, staying organized, and if needed, seeking professional help are some other ideas to improve one’s well-being during times like these.

Create a Dedicated work Space 

Assign a workspace in your home, preferably a chair and table. Don’t choose a place where you can feel too relaxed and may end up dozing off. Make sure any arrangement has enough space for your notes, coffee, laptop, etc. Research has shown an increase in productivity with dedicated workspaces while also separating your home from studying. The increased productivity reduces the time required to spend studying, thus empowering you to do what your heart desires in your spare time.

Keep a schedule

Ever found yourself stuck in binge-watching or gaming the entire while you have plenty of stuff to do? And later feel bad about doing it? Can we still enjoy these things and feel better about ourselves at the same time?

The key is scheduling. We neglect it, but the truth is that fixing a schedule always helps channel our day positively and effectively. We students don’t plan our day, sometimes because we feel lazy or we don’t feel the need to do so and just do whatever feels right or gives joy at the moment. Research shows a person who schedules his day is more effective than one who does things as and when it comes up.

By this, we don’t mean you should micro-manage every minute of the day, nor are we suggesting you study every hour of the day. We are merely asking you to set a fixed sleep schedule and other important things in your day like lunch, dinner, or any other important activity; the rest of the activities can be flexible. 

Engage in a routine that includes being active, eating, and sleeping on time. A routine will create a sense of structure and foster the need to be present and control daily functions.

Fake a commute 

Remember your early morning routine, where some early risers had a relaxed breakfast and decided they wanted to walk to the classrooms or catch a bus? The “ Just in time people” had to decide regularly if they had enough time to finish their breakfast or pace towards classrooms because of strict professors. And, of course, those who never saw breakfast and wished the professor allowed them to enter class after it started.

All these commute activities set our brain in the right state for the learning ahead. But more often than not in an online environment, we’d just wake up and join the classes, and fall asleep ten minutes into it. An easy solution for that is to just fake the commute, take a brief walk, maybe within the house(or outside if possible), accompanied by songs or podcasts you like. People who followed this said it helped them trick the brain into the difference between work and house space.

–Article by Dhruvin Shah and S S Rakshita, 3rd year Department of Mechanical Engineering