How to Overcome Graduate School Challenges During the COVID-19

Being in graduate school is stressful enough, and being a graduate student amidst COVID-19 pandemic is a whole new level of distress! As a fifth year Ph.D. student, I had extensive timeline and professional plans for 2020 that revolved around completing my Ph.D. and the future after that. When COVID-19 pandemic prompted, causing non COVID related labs to be shut down and all the events being cancelled, I saw months of hard work and planning being shattered. I was looking forward to many things including giving an oral talk at American Association of Immunologists conference in Hawaii in May 2020 (which is considered an honor) for which I had received three different awards, and had worked so hard for. From being very anxious and stressful in the beginning, in the past few months, I have adapted and incorporated few changes in my graduate school life that has helped me to keep my sanity intact and still be productive. At the end of the day, I remind myself that just like the pandemic, with time the panic and situations I am facing will come to plateau too!