By Daesha Gear
In-person education at Riverside Community College District has returned for the fall semester, but many new and returning students may feel unprepared.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the district into distance-learning in March of 2020, which caused both new and returning students to adapt to an online environment. Now, after a year and a half of Zoom classes, studying in our pajamas and going through college from our bedroom, student life is returning to normalcy through the reintroduction of in-person courses.
However, due to the absence of face-to-face learning for such a long period of time, reverting to in-person classes may be challenging.
Several seasoned RCCD students have helpful suggestions for first-time and returning students to overcome these difficulties and achieve a prosperous semester.
Quizlet is an online study tool that allows its users to create digital flashcards on various subjects.
It’s resourceful to individuals like second-year Christian Arrcola, a business administration major at Riverside City College.
“When preparing for an upcoming exam, I would create flashcards that would pertain to the material I was currently learning,” Arrcola said.
Text-to-speech is beneficial when taking an English, history or political science course as it provides convenience for students like third-year, Remy Tate, fine arts major at Riverside City College.
“Usually, I would have text-to-speech activated whenever a professor assigns me an online article to read,” Tate said. “Listening to it helps you become more efficient in decoding an article.”
Discord is a popular messaging app that conveniently unites students together.
Discord benefits fourth-year Josue Ortega, psychology major of Moreno Valley College, when organizing study groups with classmates.
“You can invite classmates to it to create helpful study groups through messaging, video or phone calls,” Ortega said. “Being able to chat and study together conveniently with peers can emulate the excitement of an actual class.”
Online Resources provided by RCCD administers academic support to its students through the Virtual Library, online tutoring and Writing and Reading Center.
“When it comes to using MVC resources, I like to use the virtual library to find scholarly sources for my paper,” Ortega said. “Retrieving sources from the Virtual Library or Google Scholar helps you find exciting facts for your paper.”
Approaching your professor as a first-time or returning student may seem frantic. Still, it is another essential tip from Arrcola.
“Since RCC is back to in-person learning, it’s easier and better than online courses because you have more time to communicate with your teachers,” Arrcola said.
Other valuable tips listed by the students include: reviewing notes, attending tutoring sessions and staying in contact with your professor.
“Do not be intimidated by the number of students in your class when you’re asking a question,” Tate said. “Emailing is another option if you’re shy, but they (professors) aren’t going to bite; they want to help you.”
