Gladys Berejiklian’s stay-at-home order for Sydney has meant that students for Semester 2 will return to online classes. O-Week this year was held online on Discord. During this semester different workshops will be held on zoom on how to study, reference, research, and use library resources. They are fantastic resources and I recommend any student attend them in the future because there is a lot to gain. Sign up here: students.mq.edu.au/support/study/skills/workshops
Studying at home can be hard. Very hard. There are so many distractions and sometimes cabin fever sends you spiralling. Macquarie University provides mental health assistance to those who are struggling. You can submit a CARE report to the university. On the university website the link is found under ‘Support’ and then ‘Counselling.’ You can submit a report if you have experienced anxiety, depression, housing difficulties, financial concerns, and a range of other circumstances. The university will be in contact with you about how they can help.
If you are struggling with assignments, writing, or researching, you also have lots of options. Check in with StudyWISE, WriteWISE or Studiosity. My personal tips are to stay hydrated (water, coffee, and redbull), try out the ‘Pomodoro Technique,’ a time management method where you work in 25 minute blocks and give yourself a 5 minute break away from the screen in between those blocks, work in a quiet environment and if you feel stuck getting started write out a list of all the teeny-tiny steps you need to take to begin your task. Take it easy on yourself as well. Lockdowns are never easy and you are doing amazing just as you are!