As the University has made the difficult decision to transition to online classes due to the coronavirus, we have all had to find new stability in our lives. The typical college balance of school, homework, friends and a job is long gone. 

Now, most of us have to find a way to undertake chores, homework, online lectures and watching our pets or younger siblings. Aside from our responsibilities, we have to partake in mandatory family time with parents and siblings we haven’t lived with in months and have forgotten how to interact with. 

If your family is anything like mine, they’re using this quarantine to get you to do the things you normally do on breaks or during the summer such as household chores, watching the dogs and doing a family puzzle. What they don’t seem to understand is that we don’t have time to do all of that and still accomplish our academic responsibilities.

I personally seem to have forgotten how to find time to do homework in my own house while spending enough quality family time. School has barely resumed, and I already feel behind. What parents can’t seem to understand is that watching lectures and doing homework while also watching TV with them just isn’t feasible. 

The best thing we can do is sit our parents down and talk to them about how to make this work better. We need to explain to them that we need to have less responsibilities around the house, not more, since we need the time and space to get our work done if we have any chance at surviving this semester. 

Let your parents help you find your new balance. Chances are they just don’t realize how difficult this really is for us. To find your new footing, look at how you’re spending your days now and find out what isn’t working. 

Finding my new equilibrium means I have to find time to go in my room and do homework for a few hours during the day so that I have the time at night to spend with my family. Your new balance may be fitting in an hour here and there to get your work done. 

Some of us may need to wake up earlier to get a head start on our day. Others may need to go to bed later so they can work when everyone is quiet and sleeping. This new daily symmetry will be difficult to establish, but we will all find it eventually. 

Whatever your new balance may be, you will make it work. There was a time when we thought balancing college life on campus was hard, and we all overcame that. This is a challenge we’ve never seen before, but it’ll make a great talking point for our job interviews someday on one of the greatest challenges we’ve ever had to overcome.

Try out different ways to manage your days and see what works best for you. During this crazy time, it’s important that we find a new balance to make our lives easier.

Marykate is a sophomore in DGS.

[email protected]