Preparing For Finals During COVID: A New Layer of Stress

With finals coming up soon, college students are busier than ever. It’s that time of year again, but this time around things are different. The University has moved the majority of its classes to remote learning, and this is affecting the way students and teachers are preparing for finals.

When it comes to how finals are administered, there are professors that worry about the cheating aspect of remote learning. Since classes are online, it is easier to cheat because nobody is monitoring or watching over the students. According to The Verge, a University of Arizona student named Jackson Hayes experienced finals online, and was forced to use Zoom with an online proctor while he took it. He said that even though he was uncomfortable with the lack of security Zoom provides, he had to show his license and all of his personal information through the video camera to the proctor.

Read more ...

Psychology Services Help Fight Off "COVID Blues"

 The global COVID-19 pandemic has impacted life as we know it in a multitude of ways, leaving many people’s mental health to suffer. According to a recent Berkeley study, college students across the country have reported rises in anxiety, depression, and loneliness. The Center For Disease Control (CDC), finds the Coronavirus to cause stress for individuals due to the fear and uncertainty of the type of future a worldwide pandemic holds.

 Andrew J. Lee, Psy.D., Director of Psychological Services, said the two most  consistent COVID-19 related issues he sees are anxieties surrounding the disease, and the economic consequences of COVID-19 lockdowns and job shortages.

Read more ...

Are You Vitamin D-ficient?

As the weather starts to become cooler and COVID-19 cases increase, people will be more inclined to stay indoors during these frigid, nippy months. But despite the comfortability and safety to staying indoors, it is not entirely efficient to devote all of your time under a roof since it can result in vitamin D deficiency.

According to WebMD, Vitamin D, a.k.a. The “sunshine vitamin”, is produced by the body in response to being exposed to sunlight. It supports strong bones and can protect against a plethora of long term health problems.

Read more ...

Blue Light Glasses: Safety Precaution or Scam?

Remember when being called “four eyes” was totally insulting to anyone who wore glasses? Now wearing specs is a huge trend, especially with the rise of school and employment being virtual. Many people are choosing to wear Blue Light blocking glasses. Not only do these lenses claim to offer protection from harmful light, but they have also become a fashion trend for men and women alike.

  So what exactly is blue light? Ambr Eyewear is a seller for Blue Light glasses and they explain the science behind it on their website. The electromagnetic spectrum is made up of different colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. Remember Roy G. Biv from science class? Blue light comes from this spectrum. Otherwise known as HEV: high energy visible light, it is visible to the human eye and it emits a high amount of energy. 

Read more ...

"FOMO" During Covid-19

The fear of missing out, often shortened to “FOMO,” is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on social media.”

During the modern landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic and the quarantines that remain in place, it’s become increasingly more tempting to cave into temptation and meet up with friends, especially as they post about going out on social media.

Read more ...

Misconceptions of Happiness--How to Rewire Your Smile

As we find ourselves adjusting to a new lifestyle everyday from the everchanging COVID-19 stipulations, it becomes harder to focus on the positives (not in reference to the test results) and the idea of keeping a positive mindset. You may find yourself saddened by not having access to a full college experience at Monmouth, but don’t fret, there are ways to make the best out of the situation.

In 2012, former President of the American Psychological Association, Martin Seligman, published the novel Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being to promote methods of becoming your best self. Seligman explains how many are prone to fall into a habit of negativity, claiming, “When you’re in a bad mood, you’re better at ‘what’s wrong here?” as opposed to making a conscious effort to highlight the good in life.

By concretely observing the small things to be gracious for, whether it be a favorite snack, a meaningful encounter with a friend, or the completion of an assignment, you will be amazed at the results.

Read more ...

Campus Dating During COVID-19: Is it Impossible?

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a halt to a lot of people’s plans, to say the least. It’s become increasingly more difficult to meet up with friends and family in a responsible manner, and the rules and stipulations surrounding the University campus and world at large are always changing. It seems trivial at this point in time to try to take someone out on a date, but there’s more safe and responsible ideas than one may think.

Meeting someone outside is actually relatively safe, at least when you and the other person’s mask are worn correctly. Mary Anne Nagy, Vice President for Student Life and Leadership Engagement, stressed the importance of not only wearing a mask, but doing so correctly.

“At some point, students need to get to their peers and say, ‘you are ruining it for the rest of us,” Nagy said in a response to the rise of COVID-19 cases on campus. “When you wear your mask wrong, you’re hurting the campus.”

Read more ...

Safe Campus Living During COVID-19

When the University announced its plan to reopen and allow for students to return to the dorms, naturally, questions arose as to the safety of doing so. Traditionally starting semesters in the fall, New Jersey has had the luxury of observing how other schools handled the global pandemic, on campus and off. The Tampa Bay Times recently reported the University of Tampa had drawn big COVID-19 numbers amongst its residential students, despite being a small private school like Monmouth University.

When a student makes the decision to return to campus living, it comes with a multitude of issues and concerns that must be addressed. For one, how at risk can you actually become? For this answer, we can turn to the Monmouth COVID-19 Dashboard. Updated daily by 4 p.m., the dashboard tracks confirmed COVID-19 cases among employees working on campus, residential students and non-residential students, as well as the amount of University-sponsored beds occupied by students currently in isolation or quarantine.

Read more ...

It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's... Smoke.

Nothing beats September weather. Crisp air, lukewarm temperatures, warm breezes, the transition from summer to fall is absolutely breathtaking. But have you noticed that this past week’s forecast has been “cloudier” than usual? Contrary to popular belief, those “clouds” are actually plumes of smoke being produced from the record-breaking wildfires that have been impacting California, Washington state, and Oregon.

The west coast’s dry conditions, high temperatures, and abundance of lightning have all served as catalysts for these wildfires. According to an article written by BBC News, the fires were so extreme they destroyed thousands of homes, killed over 30 people, and overall affected 42,000 people in the area. Individuals in the area have been experiencing one of the worst air quality conditions on earth.

With the smoke stretching over 5,000 miles, scientists predict the acrid yellow-green smog may linger in those parts for weeks. The air was so thick that one airline stopped flights to Portland, OR, and Spokane, WA, earlier this week. Businesses have closed temporarily and residents were not able to go outside for walks.

Read more ...

How to Stay Motivated With Online Classes

The main upside to online classes is that it gives students the ability to manage other responsibilities outside of school with ease. However with this added component, students will now need to find a balance between their lives outside of school and their online school work. Students will attain this balance from clearing their mind and understanding school comes first.

Some ways to stay on top of things include setting an early morning alarm and taking showers to wake themselves up and get online regardless of class schedule. It’s necessary to do a rundown on each class to understand what is required for each course, this is beneficial because students will be less likely to forget about an assignment and they can stay on top of all the updates the instructors may have for the course.

Read more ...