Dealing with University & School Closures

All schools and universities have shut their doors in a large-scale attempt to delay the spread of COVID-19 or coronavirus. Whilst this has freed up a lot of time for us students, we have the responsibility to not treat this as a holiday. I’m going to be running through 3 steps we can take to stay productive during these uncertain times to minimise the disruption to our education. 

1.Make a timetable.

It’s very easy to fall into a summer holiday vibe and start losing structure and order to our days. Start by setting out what content was due to be covered or what content needs to be revised. Then allocate this to different time slots within a timetable. Once you have made this timetable, please try and stick to it. Set alarms to make sure you wake up on time and follow a typical structured day. 

2.Create deadlines.

It’s very easy to lose motivation when there are no deadlines to work towards. Many exams have been or will likely be postponed. So, it becomes our responsibility to set our own deadlines. For example, “I’m going to read the emergency section of the Oxford Handbook of Clinical medicine by next Friday” or “I’m going to write an essay or do some questions on the digestive system by next Thursday”. Setting these deadlines, will give you motivation to work daily and effectively. 

3.Test yourself.

The closure of schools and universities mean that many exams designed to test our knowledge and competence to progress may be postponed or cancelled. However, take it upon yourself to test yourself using past exam papers to identify areas needing improvement and to consolidate learning. 

4.Dealing with procrastination. 

Procrastination is inevitable and we all do it. However, there are some ways to make procrastination a little bit more educational. For example, follow a few IG pages that deliver medical content or educational content. This can help with some passive learning. It may not be the most effective way to learn but it’s better than just mindlessly scrolling through memes. Another way to procrastinate better is to allocate time to procrastinate. This means that you can work efficiently during your “work slot” and peacefully procrastinate during the allocated “break times”. 

5.Importance of social distancing. 

Finally, general points on social distancing. The reason schools and universities have closed is to minimise the contact between individuals to minimise the spread of the virus. This downstream will minimise the number of people infected and needing intensive care at any one time. This is so vital as it allows our healthcare system to better cope. So, schools and universities being closed, doesn’t mean it’s time to organise massive social events, house parties and nights out. Instead, err on the side of caution. Exercise a degree of social distancing. Protect yourself and your loved ones. Hopefully, this helps you to stay on track and be productive during these uncertain times.