As we enter the month of August, most college students are preparing for their return back to campus. However, this year, it’s a little different. Many colleges have had to completely change their course delivery in the face of this pandemic; having to abide by state guidelines in order to ensure a safe transition for students and a safe delivery method for both students and faculty.
The majority of Texas colleges have offered an online option for their students that allows the students to receive their education, but from a safe distance; while also offering an in-person component for classes that cannot be offered online such as labs. Others have opted to have full in-person classes up until Thanksgiving break, and then conduct the rest of the semester and final exams online. This allows for an extended winter break and accounts for the increase in illnesses during the colder season.
If your college is opening for the semester with in-person class options, here are some tips that you can consider while you begin getting ready to go back to campus:
1. Take multiple face masks
As the saying goes, “it’s better to be over prepared than under prepared”. The schools that are preparing for in-person classes are also enforcing a strict mask policy, meaning that even while walking around campus, patrons must be wearing masks. Therefore, you want to account for the fact that you will need at least one mask per day, but then you also want to be prepared for anything that might come your way. So, you want to pack a good amount of masks in your suitcase; maybe about 8-10 reusable masks.
2. Personal hygiene
Even if you are not returning to campus for the school year, personal hygiene is incredibly important. Wash your hands after touching surfaces that others would touch (i.e. desks, computers, doors/door handles, etc.). Along with washing your hands, it is important that you also thoroughly wash your body and clothes after being out on campus all day. Since most people will be living in dorm rooms, bringing dirty clothes that could potentially be contaminated, into your room, introduces your personal belongings to the germs from the outside.
3. Clean your room as often as possible
Since you will most likely be coming in and out of your dorm room on a daily basis, it is a good thing to keep your room clean. Not just by picking up your clothes off the floor, but also by wiping down all your surfaces with disinfectant as often as possible. The germs that you bring in from the outside can contaminate the carpets, surfaces, and bedding within your room. Keeping products such as disinfectant wipes/spray, cloth rags for cleaning, a small vacuum cleaner/Dustbuster, will all be helpful to minimize the risk of your room becoming contaminated with outside germs. For more information about what products to use or tips for cleaning your dorm, read here.
4. Do your laundry as often as possible
Along with taking care of your personal hygiene, it is also important to do your laundry as often as possible. I know that it is difficult for some students because they have to pay to do their laundry at their residential buildings, however, there are many low-cost ways such as using a portable laundry machine that is easy to store and is even an eco-friendly way to do one’s laundry.
5. If you have roommates, write up a “COVID-contract”
If you are returning to college, and dorming on campus, chances are, you’re going to end up with a roommate. Whether you know this person or not, it is a good idea to contact them either before move-in or right after you move-in and set down some ground rules. Mostly regarding guests that you or your roommate might bring into your shared dorm. It’s a good idea to get a feel for what kind of roommate you will be getting, if they are a stranger to you. Write down all of your rules and then each of you should sign the contract, if anything is to be broken, you will be allowed to take up this issue with the residential board or even the school board. Writing up a contract is a good idea because it also keeps you and your roommate in check when it comes to doing something the other person is not comfortable with.
6. Take your own medical supplies
If you don’t want to pay your school’s clinic or even a small pharmacy for a general check up, then buy some supplies from your local pharmacy to keep in your dorm room for emergencies. Buying products such as a thermometer or basic sickness tablets are a good way to stock up in case you start to suspect that you are coming down with something.
7. Build an emergency kit
Having a kit that contains all the essentials and is readily available, is incredibly important. You should use a small pouch such as an old pencil case or make-up bag to store essential items such as an extra face mask, hand sanitizer, and a small bag of disinfectant wipes. You can store this kit in your backpack in case of emergencies.
8. Bring your own Tupperware
If your school does not offer options to take your meals to-go, from your dining halls, you should consider investing in some Tupperware boxes. You can go get your meals like normal, and then put them into your Tupperware boxes and go back and enjoy your meal in your room. This minimizes the amount of time that you spend surrounded by others, which in turn minimizes your exposure to the possibility of acquiring the virus.
9. Organize virtual hangouts with friends and family
Even though most students are excited to return to their dorms for this upcoming semester, one thing that they might not be able to do is hangout with their friends. This is due to strict guidelines being placed by colleges to help mitigate and slow the spread of the disease. So, instead of just not meeting up, plan fun virtual activities to do with your group of friends.
10. Find other ways to workout
If the gym on your campus is shut down for the year, find other ways to keep yourself active and on track in terms of fitness. There are plenty of YouTube and Instagram workouts available for free that require little to no equipment. You could also go for a run around campus. Be creative and allow yourself to have fun while still working out!
