Since Simpson has moved all classes to an online format due to COVID-19, students are tasked with trying to figure out how to study for their online finals. 

Many different methods are laid out in the article “Adjusting your study habits during COVID” by the University of Michigan.

According to the article, if students are doing homework, or studying, they should avoid multitasking. Students should invest all of their mind into studying instead of worrying about studying among other tasks at the same time. If students don’t focus all of their attention on one task, it could take much longer as well as they could make mistakes a lot easier. 

Another way to help students make the most of their online studies is to stay organized and keep a daily schedule. Make sure to set aside times to work on different homework assignments or to study for certain classes. Planners are also a great way to stay organized and alleviate stress and anxiety of forgetting assignments. 

Beth Beggs, Director of Writing Across the Curriculum and the Center for Academic Resources at Simpson College, shared some advice for students. 

“Moving to online learning is an enormous challenge for everyone,” Beggs said. “My best advice is to maintain a daily schedule and plan to complete some assignments each day.”

Online formats for class could be a struggle for some students as they originally signed up for face-to-face classes. For some students, they might learn better in a face-to-face class instead of an online only format. 

“Some students may have relied upon face-to-face attendance as a motivational tool for completing their work,” Beggs said. “If their now-online courses reduce that level of accountability, they must quickly develop new skills to motivate themselves.”

Sophomore Laura Brighton shared how she keeps up with online classes and how it will lead into online finals. 

“I email,” Brighton said. “I do lots of emailing my professors, bosses and classmates. For one class, we have to complete some work prior to class that we would have went over in class, but since we zoom, it is easier to complete and then discuss it over zoom. Overall, the way that I complete my homework is no different than when we were face-to-face.”

Beggs has one important thing that students should all keep in mind during these last couple of weeks. 

“I came to Simpson College from the University of Georgia where athletics had a saying, ‘Finish the Drill,’” Beggs said. “It is so easy to revert to holiday behavior when we leave the rhythm of campus life. Fight the temptation to stay up late, sleep in and eat chips. Remind yourself that you are almost at the end. Finish the drill.”