1. Get to know your professor: attend any social gatherings the professor schedules and go to office hours. If office hours conflict with your schedule, email the professor to schedule a meeting. While the thought of a 1:1 with your professor over Zoom can feel awkward, remember that the professor is there to help you learn but that they cannot help if you do not communicate that you need assistance. If you are struggling with a reading or task in class, make that appointment to ask! Not only can this have a positive impact on your grade by helping you complete more of your work, but it can also help you establish a relationship with a professor who may act as a reference or mentor for you as you pursue jobs and learning after your MLIS degree.
- Renstrom, J. (2015). How to Talk to a Professor — Explained by a Professor. https://www.noodle.com/articles/how-to-talk-to-a-professor-explained-by-a-professor
- Kirby, C. Office Hours or Student Hours Infographic. https://caitkirby.com/resources/office-hours-student-hours.html
2. Get to know your colleagues: post to discussion, help, and introductory forums to both answer mandatory prompts for credit but also to start dialogue with others.
3. Get to know your colleagues: create a study group of 2-4 others who can meet regularly to work on class assignments or discuss course content together
- Friedman. J. (2020, April 22). How students are leveraging online study groups. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-college-students-are-leveraging-online-study-groups
4. Get to know your colleagues: take advantage of group projects/shared interests– while working in groups does require the time and effort to coordinate schedules and commit to more Zoom, it also helps create moments for connection and builds accountability to help get work done. If an assignment allows the option to work in groups, consider that the group option might be more work in some ways but the group option will also yield the best learning outcomes. Studies show that overlapping learning tasks with peers in groups, rather than a divide-and-conquer approach, helps you learn better and it also helps build the skills to work in collaborative and distributed work environments.
5. Get to know your colleagues: if your professor does not create [enough] social activities, you can! You can ask your professor or advisor to help find or plan social events. You can also invite other students to a Zoom social with a theme. Consider asking everyone to bring tea or hot chocolate to a meeting where you discuss what shows/movies you’re currently into or to bring favorite quarantine recipes to share. Themes help grease the wheels by giving everyone something to comment on and are especially helpful in including those with social anxiety. Follow up– does someone love the same show you do? Schedule a virtual screening!
6. Get to know your future professional peers: join a student group! There are many student organizations, ranging from affiliation groups to student chapters of professional organizations. Like many aspects of university life, these groups have moved online as well. Attend meetings, volunteer to serve as an officer, and sign up for events like panel presentations and alumni roundtables.