24: Surviving Finals Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu

Hi, everyone. This is Dra. Yvette. I've decided to do an impromptu recording because of everything that's been going on worldwide. Especially for those of us in California, in so. cal who have had a number of changes in academia, from switching to online instruction to school closures, to cancellations of all large events, to working remotely, possibly not working, and having to scramble and figure it all out. If you are a student, you are having to figure it out while also studying for finals.

Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu

So this episode is really for students who are in the quarter system, students who, like my students, were told in just what- two days ago that all of their finals are going to be held online. They have to prepare for it. At the same time, it seems like everybody else is in a panic trying to figure out how to prepare for this COVID 19 Coronavirus pandemic. Stocking up on food, preparing the necessary supplies, going back home, or staying in their apartments, or just figuring out how you're going to get your next meal if you're relying on food pantries and free snacks on campus. I just wanted to put an episode out there to let you know that I hear you. I feel you. I am here for you. You are not alone. I know this is a very nerve wracking time. Many of us have never experienced anything like this in our lifetimes. Thankfully, most of us at this point- and by most of us, I'm saying here in the Santa Barbara area, but even nationwide- it seems like most of us are okay. There aren't a lot of deaths reported in the United States, and we're doing what we need to do to practice social distancing to reduce the number of cases here, which is very important. Many of my listeners, you're likely not part of the high risk group. You probably aren't over the age of 60. Maybe you do not have a pre existing condition. Maybe you do. Maybe you have parents or grandparents that you're worried about. I do think right now, it's necessary to figure out a balance between prioritizing yourself, your family, your health, while at the same time doing what you need to do to at the very least pass your finals.

Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu

So I just want to give you a few just tips and recommendations. Again, I am not an expert on COVID-19. I am not an expert on how to prepare for a pandemic. If you want instructions, follow all of the academic articles written about it. All of the information provided by the CDC. All of the information provided by your state and do what you need to do. Wash your hands thoroughly for 20 to 30 seconds. Practice social distancing. Stay home if you're feeling sick. Do all of those things, of course. This episode is not about those recommendations. It's more about how do you find a way to get through and survive your finals while undergoing everything else. So finals- I am actually associating finals as everything that you need to do to get through this term, get through this quarter really. I'm mostly referring to quarter system students.

Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu

Just so you know also, staff, administrators, professors, we are all freaking out just as much as you are because we received little to no notice of all of a sudden everything that we normally do in a classroom setting, we have to switch over online. Not everybody has experienced doing this. I know I have not taught an online class before, and so there is a learning curve there. It means we've had to work extra hours to prepare for that, in addition to preparing to change a lot of our duties if we happen to go remote. So we're with you in terms of the added stress.

Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu

How do you find a way to focus when everything is going on? I'll share a few recommendations. The first thing is, try to find a study buddy. Yes, you may be stuck at home by yourself, and that feels very isolating. But one of the things that I practiced a lot in graduate school when I felt the most isolated and when I was writing my dissertation, which felt like a never ending task, was I'd meet up with a friend in one of two ways. Either we'd meet up over zoom or Skype and check in, and then we'd turn off our camera and our audio while we did work. So we would check in, and then we'd do Pomodoro timers, which means we would work in increments of 25 minutes, and then after those 25 minutes were up, we would check in for five minutes, and see how we were doing. At the start of the next 25 minute timer, we would know what our next goal was, we'd say- okay, for the next 25 minutes, I'm going to be writing. For the next 25 minutes, I'm going to be note- taking. For the next 25 minutes, I'm going to be working on this assignment. Then we'd check back in- how did it go? Did we actually work on it? How far did we get? What got in the way, if we were struggling? So that just provided immediate accountability. That way, you know- okay, I gotta focus. Maybe the world might be crumbling outside, but for these 25 minutes, I'm going to focus on this one task, because I've got a friend on the other end of the camera who's going to expect me to have made some progress. So that's one.

Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu

Two, if you maybe don't want to meet over video chat, the alternate to that is actually meeting up over Google document. This is what I would do is, we would open up a Google document, share it with the friend. Type in the Google doc your goal for that first POM, so we would say, POM one and we'd write down the time, 9 to 9:30am, or, you know, 1 to 1:30pm, and what we're going to do. Then there's a chat option in Google Docs. We'd both log into the chat, and after that timer was up, we'd go into the chat and just type in how did it go? What did you do? How much did you accomplish? What got in the way or what worked well? Then we'd started another timer again, and we'd do that for a couple of Pomodoros, at least four in a row. Then we'd call it a day. So that's one suggestion is doing the Pomodoro timers, with an accountability buddy of some sort.

Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu

If again, you don't feel comfortable with using the Google document, another way to do that is over email. Some folks maybe they think 25 minute timers, that's overwhelming for me. That's too much. I don't want to be having to wait on someone or having to work with someone and check in every 25 minutes. You could always do daily check ins with an accountability buddy. So let's say, Wednesday- you've got to finish final number one, Thursday- final number two and three. Then maybe you just check in and you say okay, after I get through each final, I'm gonna send you a quick email just to say I finished it and how I felt about it. And then that's how you know, you're like- okay, I gotta get these finals done, because I'm gonna check in with my friend. It just provides that sense of feeling like you're not alone, and the same goes with them. They would also check in with you when they're done with their tasks. So that's another option.

Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu

Sometimes folks don't have a specific accountability buddy that they feel comfortable reaching out to. I would still recommend the Pomodoro method on your own. I do think that timers help a lot, and if you can't do 25 minutes, if you're really got that distracted, start with five minutes. Set a five minute timer and see if you can focus and not look at social media, not look at your phone, not turn on the news for those five minutes and work on that one task. Sometimes, we are so distracted that the hardest part is just getting started on the task. I understand that feeling. So set a five minute timer for yourself, and then increase that timer. Five minutes becomes six minutes, six minutes becomes seven minutes until you're at the 25 minute mark, and then keep it up- 25 minutes.

Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu

I don't recommend setting a timer for more than 25 minutes straight without a break, because I do think it gets really hard to focus after 25 minutes. I do think everybody needs to take a break. In fact, after you do three Pomodoros, so after you do three 25 minute sessions with five minute breaks each, after the third one, you're allowed to take a longer break a break of 15 to 20 minutes. For that I recommend- take a walk or eat something. Do whatever you need to do to decompress for those 20 minutes before you get back to your tasks. If you find yourself on a roll- let's say you do a 25 minutes, and then you want to keep going, that's okay. Go ahead and keep going. I don't recommend trying to push through longer than four hours straight. Because studies have shown that we have a peak amount, in terms of our peak productivity, we have about four hours of high peak productivity a day. So you want to reserve that time for whatever are your most important tasks that day.

Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu

Honestly, even though you have finals, I don't want you all to deplete yourselves. This is a time when you need to take care of yourself. These are not your average finals. I know that for a lot of students finals week means not eating well, doing all nighters, be in close contact with other people who also have lower immune systems. And a lot of people get sick- get colds and flus around midterms and final season. Now is not the time to get sick, so I don't want you all to work more than four hours straight if you can help it. I know sometimes you're like, well, my final takes that long, and I just have to suck it up and do it. If that's the case, I'm so sorry that you have to do that. But you're gonna have to prioritize something, whether that's eating well, or sleeping or something. Because you do not want to get sick at this time. You want to try to avoid your chances of getting sick. Just because if you get the flu, if you get a cold, hospitals and clinics are going to be burdened with additional people going in. That's just the reality of the severity of the situation going on right now. And so we just want to make sure, the more that we can take care of ourselves while managing your finals, your workload, the better off we'll be.

Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu

I think that is all I'm going to share. I just wanted you to think about timers. I wanted you to think about accountability buddies. I wanted you to think about not working for more than four hours straight, and really, really taking care of yourself. If you're really struggling to focus because maybe you're anxious, maybe you're seeing everybody's stocking up and you don't have food at home. Or maybe you're seeing everybody going home in your dorm or your apartment, and you're still where you're at. Or maybe your campus is starting to look completely just dead, empty and you're still going to the library.

Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu

Do what you need to do to feel okay enough to get your work done. For some students, that will mean- initially I wanted be here on campus to finish my finals, but you know what? I think I'm just gonna go home early and finish them at home, even if I'm distracted by my younger siblings or my parents or whatever it is. Maybe you make that decision. Or maybe you make the decision of you know what? I'm really struggling to study because I'm super anxious that everything's gonna run out at the grocery stores, and I just want to make sure I get enough food to get me by for the next two weeks. Then go ahead, do your your grocery shopping. Plan for it to take twice as much time as usual, because lines are getting longer now, unfortunately, and then get it done. If it takes two hours, it takes two hours and then come back and know- okay, peace of mind. I have food. I have shelter. I have water. I'm going to be okay. I can get my work done.

Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu

I do really think that at this point, you need to follow your gut, your intuition. Do what you need to do to make you feel secure, safe, healthy, and then focus on whatever you need to get done to finish up the quarter. And then hopefully try to rest and make the best of your spring break. We get a week spring break. I technically don't get a spring break. I'm still working through spring break. I don't have childcare because my son's school closed down for a couple of weeks. I too am probably feeling just as anxious, if not more anxious, as you all are feeling about- how am I going to get all this work done? How am I going to take care of my child? How am I going to take care of myself? I have a chronic illness. I feel sick, all the time, almost every day, especially in the mornings. But I'm doing the best I can to manage my physical health, my mental health. I'm checking in with friends. I have accountability buddies. So all of these things- I set my timers.

Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu

These are things that I implement regularly as part of my routine, and it's what keeps me going. That's why I'm okay, and I want to make sure that you all are okay, too. So, again, I wasn't going to record anything. I typically don't have episodes- more than one episode a week. I know that, you know, I didn't have any notes prepped for today. It might sound like I'm all over the place. Honestly, that's because I am. But I just want to let you know that you're not alone, that you're gonna get through this. And feel free to reach out. I'll still be on social media. So if you have any questions, if you need any advice, reach out to me and I'm happy to get back to you. Good luck with finals. I hope you have a restful spring break, restful and peaceful spring break. And you'll keep hearing from me. I'm continuing these weekly episodes, no matter what. I have no idea what I'm going to talk about next week, but I'm just going to play it by ear and see what comes up. Hopefully things don't worsen too much for all of us. I wish you all the best. I will talk to you all soon. Bye