Navigating the Virtual Learning Environment

written by ACM [Lucy Jiang & Ketaki Deuskar]

Happy first day of Autumn Quarter 2020! 🍁 Although it can be hard to feel excited about multiple quarters of online instruction, we hope that you’ll be able to use this time to (virtually) reconnect with your friends and peers and to enjoy all of the events and opportunities that the Allen School has to offer. We’ve pulled together some tips, resources, and reminders to help you make the most of the quarter! If you’re looking for even more resources for navigating CSE, visit the resources tab on the ACM website!

We can’t wait to get back on campus! But in the meantime, let’s make the most of this virtual quarter :)

Make Sure You Have the Essentials

It’s important to have a good laptop for your studies! If you’re looking for a laptop to use throughout the quarter, UW has a program called the Student Technology Loan Program (STLP) where you can reserve a laptop (free of charge!) for the entire quarter. They accommodate both pickup and technology shipment, and have a wide variety of equipment that you can choose from. You can find out more about the STLP on their website! UW also provides resources to support any wifi or technology issues you might run into when working remotely, which you can check out at the IT Connect website. 💻

Designate your Study Space

Try your best to separate your study space from your bed! 🛏 While it might be tempting to Zoom into class from the comfort of your bed, working in a different space can help you create a physical and mental distinction between the place where you relax and the place where you study.

Go to Office Hours / the Introductory Programming Lab (IPL)

Office Hours (for 300 and 400-level CSE courses) and the IPL (for the 14x series) are some of the most underrated resources that the CSE department offers. Your TAs and professors are there to help you, so it doesn’t hurt to drop by just to chat or to ask any questions that you might have! 🧠

Stay Organized

Be sure to keep track of all of your assignments and deadlines! Some methods to help you stay organized include Google Calendar, Trello, or even a paper planner. 📒 Although there isn’t a specific system that works for everyone, we recommend trying out a couple of different scheduling techniques until you find the one that suits you best.

Attend Virtual Social Events

The Allen School is home to a variety of student groups, all of which are dedicated to making the student experience more welcoming and inclusive. We’ve been working hard to bring you fun, virtual events for meeting new people in the department and for finding fun activities to do with friends! 🤩 You can keep up with the latest social events from all student organizations on a variety of platforms, such as the Ed discussion board or the CSE Facebook page.

• ACM: https://acm.cs.washington.edu/
• ACM-W: https://acmw.cs.washington.edu/
• GEN1: https://gen1.cs.washington.edu/
• MiT: This is the Allen School’s new Minorities in Tech group. Website coming soon!
• Q++: https://facebook.com/QppAtUW/
• SAC: https://sac.cs.washington.edu/

Get to Know Your Peers in CSE

It might seem hard to interact with your peers due to the virtual learning environment, but getting to know your peers can make you feel a little more connected. ACM is excited to host the Big / Little Mentorship Program for the third year in a row, where we match new Allen School admits with more experienced students to help you smoothly transition into the Allen School and learn more about the unique opportunities in the Allen School! Learn more about the Big / Little Program and how to sign up at our Ed post. 🤗 MiT and SAC have also set up a form to help new admits form study groups, so read more about this at their Ed post! 📚

Take Care of Yourself

Above all, it’s most important to take care of yourself. With everything transitioning to an online format, it can feel both isolating and overwhelming at the same time. Be sure to eat, drink water, exercise, and sleep (try to get at least 7 or 8 hours!) Set aside some time just for yourself too, whether that’s for baking a new recipe or unwinding with a good book — mental health is just as important as physical health. Don’t hesitate to reach out to friends and family if you ever need anybody to talk to as well. 💕 UW also provides mental and physical health services, which you can access at the Husky Health & Well-Being website.

We hope you have a great Autumn Quarter and we can’t wait to “see” you around! 😊