'Have A Plan In Place' | How Students Can Set Themselves Up For Success Ahead Of Virtual Semester, According To A Local Professor
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The start of the 2020 fall semester is nearly here for students.
Many will be taking classes online as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
Some students say it's a challenge to adjust learning virtually.
"I enjoy it being more discussion-based and talking with my classmates and teachers, so doing that online is a lot more difficult," Martin Csongradi, who attends Loyola University, said.
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Some parents say their kids aren't getting the same amount of attention through online schooling.
"It's very difficult for her to really learn on there because she not getting the one-on-one," a local parent told WJZ.
Some teachers say it's been difficult as well.
"Learning a whole new skill-set and changing an entire curriculum is very daunting," Sarah Lindquist, a Montgomery County Public Schools teacher, said.
Psychology professor Mary Jo Coiro, at Loyola University, says there are ways for parents and students to get ready for the semester.
She says parents need to sit down with kids and go over their schedules
"I think it's really important to have a plan in advance," she said.
Coiro also says don't overlook sleep and get children into a routine to better prepare them.
"I think one important aspect of scheduling for parents to start thinking about now is getting their children on to a healthy sleep schedule that might be different than what they've been doing for the past six months," she said.
Finally, don't forget to spend family time together, even as the lines between school work and home are blurred.
"It's just as important as ever for family members to reconnect by doing something fun... go for a walk or play a game or watch a family movie so that parents and children can kind of remember the things that they enjoy about each other," Coiro said.
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