Parental Guidance: Surviving

Parental Guidance: Surviving Living at Home

Story by Max Hughes | Design By Will Yi

Zzzzzzz. SLAM! Your eyes widen and you bounce up from a calm slumber to find your mom standing at your door. She begins to run through the list of chores you have for the day. Quickly, you reach for your phone to find that it is 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday.

For some, this is what it is like coming home from college to live with your parents again. When Gov. Inslee issued the stay-at-home order, students quickly returned to their respective homes without a second thought.

But, what exactly does this return mean for college students trying to finish their spring quarter? Back at Home Being back home “is not the way it should be,” says Marcus Wolf, freshman Theatre Performance major, who was excited to work on an upcoming theatre production and start his new job as a student ambassador on campus; both of which are now canceled or put on hold due to the stay at home order.

Michelle Wolf, Marcus’ mother and former dental hygiene educator for 11 years, agrees that while it was a loss to see her children leave home, it also didn’t feel right to have them back.

She acknowledges that by being away from campus, they are missing out on relationshipbuilding opportunities.

While it may be hard to completely prepare for a state-wide shutdown, some parents were able to help their students adjust to the change.

“I was very proactive with all three of my kids and talked with them, worked with them and I saw this coming … Their [heads are] spinning, and my head is spinning too,” says Michelle as she talks about bringing her kids back home from college.

A quick move back home is rarely prepared for by students, although when parents are ready, it can speed up the process.

For some, the move from home to college is a moment of freedom and self-exploration; a moment now stunted by the requirement to return home.

For Marcus, he explains that things at home have gone back to the way they used to be, as much as things can be with the current situation in mind.

On-Task Online Though not all students are fueling the pushback, many students across the nation are now finding out what pursuing a degree online feels like.

Sophomore Film Production major Tom Sanders, says, “I’m probably doing five to six hours a day of just reading, watching lectures and taking notes,” which he says is a lot more time than he would spend on those activities if he were taking in-person classes.

A class worth one credit is supposed to have a total of three hours of work outside of class time, according to CWU Resources and Reports. But without designated in-person classes, it can feel like that outside work has increased.

Sanders feels that if he was able to be physically present in his classes, it would be easier to learn some of the material. Being in class allows for better opportunities to ask questions and interact with professors, peers and course content.

At home, Sanders says things can be “noisy and chaotic,” due to his brothers. Being in a classroom would give him a better opportunity to focus.

Marcus says the transition to working online was the hardest part of adjusting after returning home. The ability to manage time is something all students are learning in the shift.

Michelle says that the change has forced her son to become more organized; something that was difficult at first.

In the beginning, “It’s such a shock to their system that I think all the kids, and all of us as a whole, being in lockdown, are less productive,” says Michelle.

This productivity decrease is likely caused by the complete shift from face-to-face to monitor-to-monitor. After teaching for 11 years, Michelle believes that engagement is easier when an instructor is right in front of you. Instruction given in-person is what many students have come to understand.

For some students, the reason they go to physical classes is because it enables them to learn better. Marcus shares this sentiment because he identifies as a “visual and kinesthetic learner.”

An article by Houghton College defines the kinesthetic learning style as one that “requires that you manipulate or touch material to learn.”

While learning visually is still possible, self-motivation is a bigger part of learning. Staying motivated in various ways is important while managing stress, schoolwork, employment and spending time with family.

Staying Connected While the world is shut down, it is important to stay connected with not only family, but also friends.

According to Beyond Blue, an Australian organization for mental health awareness, “Being connected to others is important for our mental and physical wellbeing and can be a protective factor against anxiety and depression.”

Using programs like Discord, Microsoft Teams and Zoom are only a few of the ways people have found to get out of their homes and visit others virtually.

Discord is one program Sanders uses to stay connected and stream Jackbox games with his friends. This is his way of getting together with friends virtually.

Though, not everyone has friends or family to talk to. A resource for those that are looking for someone during this time is the Disaster and Distress Helpline, which can be called at 1-800- 985-5990, or be texted ‘TalkWithUs’ to 66746.

The Alcohol and Drug Foundation recommends several different ways to stay connected during this isolation period, including scheduling a virtual dinner date, having a distance movie night, trying a new skill with others and even playing some games.

Whether you are spending quarantine alone or are stuck at home with family, there are many ways you can adapt your living and learning to fit your personal needs. Make sure to check-in and determine what you need from those around you in order to prosper during uncertain times.