Top Five Tips for Thriving Educationally During COVID

Dr Dominic Shellard Jul 31, 2020

With so many of our lives disrupted by COVID, it seems strange to think about thriving educationally at this unprecedented time. It is more important than ever for students to focus on the future as this critical situation will pass, and their generation will be called upon to solve the world's pressing problems of the future.

Climate change, making arrangements for the subsequent pandemic, tending to disparity and building up new diplomatic connections will all require the ingenuity of Generation Z and younger.

Students have been in lockdown for a considerable length of time, if not months; they have not had the option to go to class for an exceptionally significant time-frame; and if the student has had little contact with educators, how can one prosper educationally?

Here are five top tips to keep the students on track for exam success:

1. Do not become obsessed with the news- At the start of lockdown, we as a whole fanatically followed the declaration of every statistic. Still, there is no significant evidence that this is helpful for positive mental health. Students should not stress over things which are not under their control. Over 170 vaccine trials are going on worldwide. Ingenuity will help us to cope with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Think positively- The Gen-Z age group will be more esteemed than ever in the 'new normal'. It is a chance for them to explore more deeply in their studies. The old ways have failed, and the need by corporations for fresh thinking and approaches is more pronounced than ever. Furthermore, human trials of a vaccine started at Oxford University two months back.

3. Focus on things that can control- It is easy to feel that the student is at the mercy of events; however, sometimes, these things are not real. They can take back contrplanning for the exams. They can say 'I am going to ace my exams, come what may' - and here is a way to do to address this in a practical manner.

4. Create a four-week exam plan- We need a structure like never before now, with neither school nor college to attend. An excellent way to structure the days in a

positive manner is to make a four-week academy plan; arrange the entire day into three sessions and study in two of them. Review the progress of each of the subjects by rating them on a 1-10 scale, where one is inadequately arranged, and ten is decidedly ready.

Students need to concentrate on subjects where the score is under seven and analyse their syllabus. They can check back against previous exam answers and identify the areas of the plan where improvement is required. They should not merely focus on areas where they feel comfortable.

5. Communicate politely and honestly with the teachers- Students can request the teacher to review the plan and should recall that you achieve more in life with sugar than vinegar. They need to ensure that the approach to the teacher is polite and not feel afraid of communicating their perspectives and emotions. COVID has made more individuals more willing to help one another. Remember that teachers respond well to courteous, thoughtful communications. Besides, perhaps the students can also consider getting new tutors and joining for three tutorials a week to enjoy the work exercises.

Students ought to consistently request for feedback from the teacher, tutor, friends and family and seek for pieces of advice. Moreover, and most importantly, audit and adjust the arrangement every week – and reward yourself for hitting the goals each week!