Online learning and me…
The COVID-19 pandemic began to rear its ugly head in December of last year. By 23rd of March 2020, the UK was put into lockdown. The impact of lockdown on me has been totally unprecedented and wide-ranging, impacting every aspect of my life in some way.
The first most obvious difference in my life resulting from the lockdown has been the change in my living situation. It is no small feat to move back into your parents’ home, having lived out of it for over a year and a half, and having your own home for some of that time. The changes in my everyday life and routine have been difficult to adjust to, and it has taken some time to get used to navigating the different age groups in my house, as I have much younger siblings.
The transition to online learning has also proved itself to be a bit of a challenge. My course has not implemented any fixed-time online work, which while I am incredibly grateful for given my busy living situation at home, has made it quite difficult to get into the swing of doing work. Completing lectures now relies even more heavily on my own motivation to learn. As well as this, because my two younger siblings have had school closures, I am responsible for looking after them in the day and helping them with their online school as my parents work from home. While I am happy to help wherever I can, it must be said that this leaves less time for me to complete my own studies.
However, this less-than-ideal situation has taught me valuable time management skills. I am much more able to start a task when I intend to, and work until without taking breaks, wasting time and procrastinating. This experience has also taught me how to complete work in adverse conditions, as well as to persevere despite difficulties along the way.
As for my thoughts about the future, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown has given me lots of time to think about this. Unfortunately, my thoughts about the future are overwhelmingly pessimistic. While I am by no means the worst affected by the pandemic now, nor will I be the worst off in the following economic crisis, it goes without saying that the prospects for my future are dampened by current affairs. It is unlikely we will leave recession in the UK in my lifetime, and to have that prospect hanging over me, when there is only 1 year between me and the real world is daunting.
The fact that I did not know for certain what I wanted to do as a career before this pandemic began has been my one saving grace. I feel that if I had known what I wanted to do, and then watched that sphere of industry slowly crumble under the weight of the crisis, I may be feeling a lot more disinterested in pursuing my studies.
Ultimately, what must be focussed on now is staying safe and staying home. While I am by no means putting thoughts of my future aside, I do think it is important to prioritise my health and the health of those around me. Only when this pandemic in a bit more under control will I be able to prioritise organising a career path.
References
- Belo Rio Studio (Photographer), Woman Studying (digital image), 2018 May 12th, retrieved from www.unsplash.com
