Looking Ahead
Last week I talked about motivation for the spring session college student and for the high school student on the last lap before finals: the sprinter and the marathon runner. What happens next, when classes are over and you are between terms, waiting for fall session to resume?
If you have that internship or summer job you’d been counting on, your COVID challenges continue, and you already have success dealing with that. But what if your summer plans have been sidelined, interrupted, or disrupted?
It sucks, that’s what it is. Loss of potential income, loss of structure, plans thwarted. Kind of like the marathoner who’s been told they have to run on the spot, or worse, stand still while the race goes on for others. There’s no happy meme poster that is going to make it all better. The challenge here is first and foremost to somehow stay in the race, to be able to pick it up in the fall. The key, as they keep telling us in how-to-cope-with-COVID, is to put the oxygen mask on, and to put it on yourself first.
What does that oxygen mask look like for the student without a job, perhaps concerned about other family members who have lost their jobs or are at COVID risk, coping with the stresses of social distancing?
The oxygen mask for you is whatever invigorates you and sustains you. Maybe it’s a pity party to wail at the moon. Get it out of your system so the bitterness doesn’t linger all summer. Then get creative about what will sustain you through the summer, and bonus if it furthers your academic career. If sleeping until noon and gaming until 4am truly sustains and invigorates you and aren’t merely more distraction than is healthy for you, your finances, and your relationships, then by all means, sleep until noon and game until 4am.
Otherwise, brainstorm–what could you do with two to four months of uncommitted time? Here’s one real-life example from one of my colleague’s clients:
After two summers of unpaid volunteer work at a clinic in their field, this student landed a paid summer internship. Except not now. So at the end of term, the student secluded in the basement with violent video games for five days, then emerged, red-eyed, dishevelled and in sad need of a shower. Parents’ suggestions weren’t spot-on, but did bring other possibilities to mind. In particular, past volunteer work had involved writing procedural manuals–and now procedures must change with the new COVID rules. Modifying manuals and documenting procedural changes is work that can be done at home, so even with the clinic closed, work could proceed on something that will be needed when the clinic reopens. This proposal went over to the clinic this past week.
It is unclear if the clinic responded. Parents did have a good suggestion building on this, and that was to put out the procedure and manual writing proposal to similar clinics and businesses in the area.
Next blog we’ll continue with more summer suggestions, some from my clients, some from colleagues, and any you contribute. We are indeed all in this together. Let me know your strategies and how it’s going for you [email protected] .