Making the most of the pandemic:
A short guide for university students to broaden their opportunities
Has your university cancelled or shortened courses? Perhaps you have had to defer your degree due to these unforeseen circumstances. It’s very easy to slip into bad habits, become pessimistic about the future and feel hopeless about the opportunities you could have had at university. As a university student myself, I was looking forward to learning about a body of research and interact with some wonderful people during this process… However, I instead was presented with the fantastic opportunity to write for this blog (kudos to Samantha) and learn a lot about myself, other people and the field of psychology, in greater depth!
It’s so important to remember the people and opportunities that you do have during this pandemic, although they may be remote jobs or e-volunteering, unlike the 3-month internship you were gearing up for during the Summer. Below is a short guide tailored for university students to not only broaden their opportunities, but also their minds, during these times.
Contact local schools, colleges or universities and ask if you can help a member of staff with their work remotely. State how much of a commitment you can take on. You may also want to be specific with how you can help (maybe you are good in a particular subject or want to offer your skills in administration).
Become an online tutor to children or younger university students. Offering your expertise to others whilst consolidating your own knowledge is a great way to move forward with your degree.
Enquire whether you can still do an internship that was scheduled for this Summer remotely. If this is not an option, search for remote internships or data entry jobs which sometimes offer flexible working patterns to fit into your university schedule.
Join a virtual support or community group that will support you through any health issues you are experiencing or to see some friendly faces, as well as still being able to feel connected to the wider world.
Look for opportunities to volunteer for a local charity as an e-befriender, digital skills co-ordinator/IT support. You may need to fill in extra applications if you are working with vulnerable groups.
If you are part of a society, find out if there are any online quizzes or events that interest you. There may even be new schemes where you will flourish like helping out younger pupils or engaging in cool discussion groups!
You may be feeling worried and annoyed about the current crisis. Take some time out to focus on your mental health and any plans you did have should fall into place.
Start a journal that reflects how you have grown during this year: what has the year of 2020 taught you? Do you value extracurricular activities more? Perhaps you have grown closer to your family and friends during lockdown or felt like being back at home didn’t work out so well. It’s important to reflect on this year – regardless of whether you made the most out of the pandemic or didn’t feel like you could do much – because it helps you grow in self-awareness and reasoning. If you have felt or continue to feel hopeless about today’s ‘new normal’, perhaps you can set some aims for the remainder of this year which can be more academic-focused or for your personal growth.
Finally, if you feel like you’ve lost out this year, whether this means your course was cut short, cancelled or you had to defer a year… think of the global pandemic as an opportunity to get closer to your loved ones, broaden your horizons in research or a hobby and finally, growing in your self-esteem and abilities!
Written by Evelyn Antony
“Hello! My name is Evelyn and I recently graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a Master of Arts (with Honours) degree in Psychology. My undergraduate dissertation leveraged data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, where I investigated the role of emotional dysregulation in explaining the association between ADHD and internalising emotional problems amongst young children. Throughout my degree, I have acquired valuable and meaningful experiences working with young people that have profound mental health issues and additional needs, as well as working in research and events management within higher education settings. Collectively my work experiences and undergraduate degree in psychology has led me to pursue postgraduate studies, in educational psychology, which commences later in 2021.”
Connect with Evelyn on Linkedin and through her personal blog.