Dear Students: Adapting to Change is the Life Skill You Need Right Now

Dear Students,

Here is one life lesson that you really need to be able to learn to be successful in life, especially now. You need to be able to adapt to changing times. Every successful person in history has had to learn to be flexible and adjust to the situation that life threw at them. Now, on top of the challenges you face being teenagers, on top of that, you have the COVID-19 pandemic, and all the problems that have been exacerbated by it. 

Every year, you’ve always had to adapt. You have a new school year, with new classes, new teachers (maybe some that you’ve had before), new materials, new technology, and new challenges. Some years are harder than others. This year, is especially challenging.

Distance learning is definitely challenging. It requires more self-discipline. There are more distractions. It’s tempting to just give up and do something else. It’s definitely not the same as being  physically in class. Trust me; I know.

On my end, it’s challenging teaching online, so I know that it must be a challenge for many (not all) of you to be learning online. The pace is different. It’s a little slower. There are awkward silences (that we’re slowly getting used to). Helping you stay on task is way more challenging now than before. Nevertheless, I’ve pushed myself to adapt, because it’s what the situation calls for. 

For right now, here are the areas where you need to adapt:

1. You Need to Adapt to New Technology

Technology will always be evolving. People barely use pay-phones, fax machines, and typewriters anymore. People tend to think that school is mainly comprised of textbooks and paper, but the system is slowly evolving away from that, especially now during the pandemic. You need to be able to use technology, especially online tools to earn your education. I know it may not be preferable, but it’s necessary. If you don’t evolve with the times, then you will be left behind.

2. You Need to Adapt to New Routines

With distance learning, your daily routine is different than it was when you were attending school in person. Now, your schedule is different than before. How you attend class is different (and arguably, more difficult). How you do and turn in your work is different. How you contact your teachers is different (you can’t just walk up to them after class). You need to know that because of the pandemic, it’s going to be different, so everything you do is going to be different. 

3. You Need to Adapt to New Expectations. 

You can’t measure your life today by your life before the pandemic. It’s different, and it’s an adjustment everyone has had to make. Your daily life will be different. Your life at home with your family will be different. How you interact with your friends, and how you interact with people at school will definitely be different. Until the pandemic is over (and it seems like it’s not going away anytime soon), you cannot expect to live the same life you had before.

Change will always be coming. It’s a part of life that affects us all. You need to do what you can to adapt to new technology, new routines, and new expectations, especially now with distance learning.  The pandemic is making the ability to adapt an even more necessary life skill. You can do it; you can do whatever it takes to not only survive, but thrive, during this time. 

Roderick Conwi is the Executive Editor at Nourishment Notes. He is also the author of The Procrastinator's Quick Guide To Getting It Done. To get powerful insights that enhance your day, join his free newsletter.