Ask Eric: Feeling Angry and Hard Classes

Editor's Note: Ask Eric is an advice column published every Tuesday. Anonymous questions are taken from this Google form. Questions are also taken both from The Collegian's Instagram, @thecollegianur, and via email, collegianaskeric@gmail.com. The views and opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of The Collegian.

Hello all,

I am coming to you from not-so-sunny Pennsylvania and boy, has the last 24 hours been quite the experience for me. I have been doing schoolwork pretty much nonstop since 7 a.m. (Monday), only stopping to do yardwork for an hour. 

I do not know what it is, but being at home while I do my work makes everything feel like it takes twice as long. I know that many of you probably feel the same way, and I am lucky that I have professors that are understanding about the strangeness of the situation we are all in. 

So what do I do to try and up my productivity? This is a real question from me. I am unsure how to do so at this moment. 

The best thing I have found so far is to lock myself in my room and just work until my eyes hurt. If any of you have better options let me know. Now that I have asked you all a question, let me answer some of yours. Let’s do it.

How do we navigate being angry at our school right now? It's hard to handle a pandemic, but the way that UR did it doesn't feel like they care much about us in the situation.

The first thing to remember is that it is perfectly alright to be angry at the situation we have found ourselves in. Anger is a perfectly natural emotion and is only a problem when we let it hurt ourselves and others. 

In terms of being angry at UR, I would be lying if I said I have not felt this way. In particular, the situation has not been handled perfectly for those who, for whatever reason, cannot go home. That being said, I have had to realize that this is an unprecedented event in our history. The people at UR who make the decisions regarding policies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak can only do the best they can with the information currently available. 

The situation is stressful and it is always changing as new information comes out. I believe that most people, when given the chance, will do what is best for the most people possible. And I believe that is what are administrators are doing. 

We are allowed to be angry; we are allowed to voice discontent with policies. But we must remember that we are always talking to people, and those people deserve respect and kindness in these troubling times.

Should I drop a hard class or just keep going?

I will start this answer by saying that you should probably talk to your academic adviser about this before making any decisions. As for what I think, I will be honest and say that a hard class will likely not get any easier now that we are online. If anything, the extra distance from a professor will likely make the class more difficult. 

If you are worried about your ability to succeed in the class there are a couple of options. One, you could take the class for credit, but, if it is for a major requirement, a CRD will only count if your major accepts D's as fulfilling major requirements (link to official policy). Otherwise, you will need to take a CR which requires a C- to pass but has no effect on GPA.

Two, you could drop the class and take it in the future. Maybe when you are back on campus the class won’t seem as intimidating. 

Three, you can drop the class and forget about it. If you do not need this class then it is perfectly understandable if you drop it and never take it again. No one will judge you for dropping a class given the circumstances, and I myself have dropped many classes in my time at Richmond. 

The best thing to do is talk to your adviser about these options and decide what is best for your mental health and future. 

What should I eat for breakfast?

Yogurt with granola is one of my favorite breakfasts. I also recommend omelets, if you feel the need to put a little extra effort into your first meal of the day. 

Well, that is all for me today, folks. Sorry for the longwinded answers, but I, apparently, had a lot to say today. 

I am going to go make the lovely Collegian editors a scavenger hunt for the myriad places that need more commas. Remember, if you are having a serious problem, I urge you to contact a medical professional. 

Finally, we all are feeling a whirlwind of emotions right now. It is okay to let yourself feel these things. Sadness, anger, regret, happiness— these are all emotions that make us human. So cry louder and laugh harder because this is the only life you will get, so take it for all it's worth. 

Contact columnist Eric Bossert at eric.bossert@richmond.edu.