BWW Blog: 6 Ways to Build a Routine That Embraces the Virtual College Experience

College without campus, community and the energy of student life is not easy. But for college students, our lack of normalcy doesn't mean that our semester can't still feel meaningful. We have to focus on what we haven't lost, and perhaps even realize that there are some things that we've gained. We still have access to incredible communities, resources and education and thanks to this virtual college experience we even have some new ways to make each day feel special.

Have something to look forward to in the mornings.

- I have been trying to begin my day with something unique to my at-home situation. For example, I have been trying to take walks outside some mornings, but you could also play with your pet or cook a fun breakfast. Embracing this new situation first thing in the morning can help all of us set the day off to a positive start.

Separate parts of your day and schedule breaks in between.

- I have found that my time has recently been split between five main categories: study/work time, class time, email/small tasks time, extracurricular time, and social/relaxation time. It is super helpful to designate what parts of your day are for each category. For example, I finish classes most days around 4 or 4:30 pm, so I like to set aside at least a half-hour of unscheduled time to relax and catch up on emails before I jump into meetings and rehearsals for extracurriculars in the evening.

Bring some excitement to your meals and snacks!

A big plus of online college for me is having more control over what I eat and when I eat. I can look forward to putting together a fun snack in the five minutes between two virtual classes or to making a bowl of popcorn for myself in anticipation of a virtual movie night with my friends.

Combine your training resources!

- I have loved seeing how I can combine my resources that are separate from school with those that my school offers. For example, in the same week, I can now take a Princeton musical theatre dance class and take a Steps or Broadway Dance Center class. Taking advantage of both of those opportunities on the same day, or even week, was never possible before.

Schedule in one-on-one meetings with professors, friends and mentors.

- These have helped me stay connected with my college community and maintain personal relationships. I've also found that fitting in office hours with professors is now easier because I don't have to factor in finding their office on the other end of campus and professors are super eager to build personal relationships with their students.

Do something just for yourself right before bed that does not involve electronics.

- During this quarantine time, I have been getting back into reading for fun and I have really enjoyed spending a few minutes reading right before bed. It helps me not only take my eyes off of a screen but also take my mind off of the stress of the day. We all need a few minutes to just decompress after a busy day of staring at screens.