page background

Heading off Problems

Navigating This New Learning Environment

Heading offProblemsNavigating This New Learning Environment

By Becket Duncan, Academic Advisor/High Achieving Student Specialist | Academic Advising

Congratulations on finishing your first week of virtual learning! The Office of Academic Advising is here to help you prepare for problems that might arise along the way. We will continue to support you as you navigate this new learning environment. Here is some advice to take with you:


  • Reflect on your first week of remote classes. Think about what went well and what could be improved for next week. Were there unforeseen challenges that arose along the way? Continue to assess your learning ability and adapt to this new, normal environment.
  • Gather your new and revised syllabi for courses and update your master calendar. Look at how it has changed and what is going to happen down the road. Are there any potential workload bottlenecks or time conflicts? We only have 5-6 weeks left in the semester and there are many assignments that need to be finished. Talk to your professors if you foresee an issue.
  • Please note that the withdrawal deadline has not moved. If you are considering withdrawing from a course, start talking with your professors to assess if a withdrawal is appropriate. You can withdraw from a course in MyDrury.
  • Engage with virtual tutoring services and continue to seek help as you need it. Do not rely on yourself to learn every bit of new information with yourself as the teacher. Create study groups with your classmates and have virtual Zoom or Discord sessions.
  • Set aside time when you can study and work on assignments outside of designated class times (if you still have designated class times). If you were in the habit of studying from 8-10 p.m. every night, make sure you keep that schedule consistent with your new plan. Your mind and body have been through a lot of changes lately; find consistency and stick to it.
  • Take care of yourself. Make sure you take care of yourself to perform at your highest capacity. This is a stressful time for everyone. It is important that you are managing to take care of your whole self during this time.