Finding Balance: Managing School and Work during COVID-19
On March 17, 2020, I received information that the campus of Vincennes University was going to shut down due to COVID-19. For me this was a big surprise, because I was already packed to come back to campus. The day before I had to go help my sister pack up her belongings from Indiana State University.
There were a lot of things changing. My mother found out she would be working from home until May 1, which is good because she was able to help move my sister and I back home. With it being such short notice on my move out date I had to take off work that day.
When we came up to VU that next week we drove two separate cars, so we had enough room for all my stuff because we only had one move out day to work with in our schedules combined. For safety reasons, the campus said only one additional person was allowed in the room with me. Although it was more back fourth trips, we managed to only spend only one and a half hour loading up the car. It felt like a drawn-out day, but it was quick.
Transitioning from face to face classes to back home online classes was a challenge at first, but I have come to an adjustment. Doing my homework at home made me procrastinate at first, but I then started to buckle down making it easier on myself to focus. Sometimes you have to set rules and goal for yourself, otherwise you find yourself doing assignments at the last minute. Next you find yourself forgetting to do at least one of the assignments due and we cannot have that. Using time management, I made it better for myself to do handle extra curriculars while doing online schooling.
I go to work in the morning, giving myself the afternoon and evening to be buried in my books. Lately it has been a graceful transformation, and I have accomplished my assignments while holding down a job. Besides that, the only other positive thing right now is spending time with the family I live with.
Even though I can’t physically see my other family we Facetime, use Facebook, and other social media more to keep in contact.
On the news channels they shown certain places shutting down due to COVID-19 and Indiana and Kentucky have been quarantined. We are only allowed to go to grocery stores, pharmacies, and drive-thru’s of restaurants. The news channels have also shown how many cases there are in different cities in Indiana and Kentucky.
The other recent thing I heard on the news was a woman from Henderson who tested positive for COVID-19 at Deaconess in Evansville, Indiana. I’ll be glad when this quarantine is over. When things go back to normal, I look forward to summer, the flowers blooming, and the sun shining. I also look forward to my birthday in June. At this moment in my spare time, I read more, walk around my neighborhood, and relax.
