A Student’s Guide to the Post-Pandemic World

Article by Fariha Farooq / Photo by Jess Bailey via Unsplash

Three months into the pandemic, it is nonetheless apparent that things won’t be returning to normal anytime soon. Universities in Canada and around the world have already declared that the majority of the classes in the fall semester will be taking place online. For students, this means upcoming months filled with uncertainty, anxiety and adjusting to the new world order. However, like for all age groups, this time brings with itself difficulty unlike anything we’ve never experienced before. Virtual classes, a distressed job market, and fewer opportunities for professional development all bring a fair share of their own challenges. In the course of the last few months, there have been many articles circulating the Internet about what the post-pandemic world would look like. However, very few articles have highlighted the impact on students and how they will adjust to the post-pandemic world. I have written this guide to help students prepare for the upcoming months ahead. 

Academics 

In terms of academics, virtual classes can nonetheless pose a hindrance to productivity. With online classes, there comes an apparent lack of motivation to keep up with school work due to the illusion of ample time being available. However, it is in such circumstances where developing a structure is critical to ensure that productivity is maintained. Prior to developing a routine, it is vital to identify your own short-term and long-term goals. These goals don’t have to be limited to just your academics but can also include anything personal that is important to you. This can be done in the following ways:

• Make a weekly to-do list.

• Dedicate the days prior to lectures to studying the lecture material assigned for that particular week. 

• Organize virtual study sessions with friends/classmates to reinforce your learning and fill any gaps in your understanding. This can be done through apps like Zoom, Google Hangouts or even Facebook messenger. 

• Reach out to your professors virtually. If you are having difficulty understanding a particular concept, professors are more than accommodating during this time to hold one-on-one Zoom meetings. 

• Make time for yourself. This can include allotting time for walks, home workouts, yoga sessions (Yoga with Adriene is a personal favourite), skincare, tv shows/movies and much more. 

• Develop digital skills. In a time where the majority of classes have been shifted online, it is essential for students to be comfortable with the software that is being used by their professors. 

• Invest in a reasonable study space. For those of us that relied on libraries to get all our studying done, we are faced with the difficulty of minimizing distractions in our home environment. Your home study space doesn’t have to be extravagant or costly but should be comfortable enough to allow you to block out any and all distractions. 

Professional Development

In terms of professional development, the pandemic has certainly created a halt on the variety of career opportunities that students previously had access to. A distressed economy has resulted in many companies rescinding their internship or even full-time job offers, leaving students across the globe unhopeful for the future. With the limited virtual opportunities that are available, many fear the risk of not being able to learn or attain as much value from them as they otherwise would have, hath they weren’t remote. In order to adjust to and develop yourself professionally amidst this pandemic, I have the following tips:

• Linkedin is a powerful tool especially during a time where face-to-face networking is limited. Develop your network, reach out to people offering resume editing and interview preparation services to better prepare yourself. In addition, many job opportunities are shared by members that aren’t available on common job boards. 

• Attend virtual workshops. These are accessible through career development services specific to your university as well as through Linkedin. 

• Develop your skills. With the ongoing stay-at-home orders, there has been an escalating demand for online professional development courses. In fact, many websites such as Udemy are offering huge discounts on courses, making it the perfect opportunity to take advantage of. 

• Do your research! Study the industry that you are interested in and analyze how it is coping with changes due to the Coronavirus. This can provide you with a real understanding of your job prospects and whether you should expand your horizons to consider other industries that are doing better than others during this time.

• Consider startups as a place to develop your skills. With the competition for prestigious job opportunities being more fierce than ever before, it is important to consider startups as being a valuable area for learning as well. Not to say that you shouldn’t work hard for and apply to your desired job opportunities, but that you should learn to be flexible to consider other options that you would have previously thought to be undesirable. Every organization is learning to adapt to this changing landscape and thus, they all have valuable learning opportunities to offer to you. 

Virtual Roles

• Routine is equally important in the virtual world of work. Even prior to the pandemic, I have worked in two completely virtual roles, and I can vouch for the importance of a routine. Some of the do’s and don’ts of working virtually include:

Do

• Develop a morning routine. 

• Dress appropriately: Getting dressed for the workday can help your productivity and state of mind. 

• Maintain regular contact with your team: Working away from a physical workplace doesn’t mean that you are alone. 

• Be patient: Online communication can make things particularly difficult because you can’t always see what your coworkers are busy with. 

Don’t

• Get sidetracked by tv/social media.

• Work in an area surrounded by family members or roommates. 

• Be on screens all the time: Try to schedule some screen-free time every day. 

Lastly, you need to understand that everyone has a different pace, a different path to follow. Don’t feel overwhelmed looking around at what everyone is accomplishing, but rather focus on your progress towards your own goals. We all have days where we don’t accomplish anything or check off all the items in our to-do list and that is perfectly fine. Adjusting to these changes will certainly not be easy and we all have different challenges that we are facing during this time. However, as students, the primary takeaway from the current situation is that we are undoubtedly becoming one of the most flexible and adaptable age groups to come out of this pandemic. And that in itself is commendable!