The lockdown and shift to online working
What a strange time it has been! From hearing of the first COVID-19 cases in the UK to the introduction of social distancing and now complete lockdown. In all honesty, I’m surprised it has come to this as I thought that the UK would be more prepared and able to prevent the spread of the virus after seeing what had happened in China and Italy. I work within the NHS and so from the start I could see colleagues and patients getting more and more concerned following the first few confirmed cases in Manchester. It was difficult as at the time, there was not a lot of guidance in what to do if people started to feel unwell and what advice we could give to those who were more vulnerable to catching it than others. It’s hard to reassure people when you don’t have the answers they are looking for!
With everything going on, it was no surprise when they announced university would be closing. Unlike some of my friends, hearing that we were moving to online learning was not a huge concern for me. I’ve spent a lot of this year learning the course content from podcasts and recommended reading lists as opposed to coming in and interacting in lectures and seminars. I like quiet and my own space when I’m learning and find it easier to follow lectures when they’re recorded and I can pause and rewind instead of trying to follow in person. Having to move to online learning was therefore no different to what I had already been doing with the exception of the lab classes.
My only worry was the cognitive neuroscience lab report as I sometimes struggle with this type of coursework and find it easier to ask for help in person than on a discussion board. I did panic when the decision was made to cancel exams as I feel I perform better in these and was counting on the semester 2 ones to bump my grades up from a 2:1. I felt frustrated with myself for not working harder and achieving better in the January exams as I put a lot of pressure on myself to achieve a first class at the end of my degree. However, I’m trying to keep a positive mindset in that I can change things around in final year, it is not the end yet!
The lockdown has impacted my life, especially with my level of motivation. I am classed as ‘very high risk’ and so have to shield for 12 weeks which means I can’t now work or even leave my house for a walk! I had thought that having all this time would mean I would get my last few assignments done straight away and that I would be able to get on track with my fitness goals (in the garden!) and learn new skills like how to cook. Instead the opposite has happened and some days I don’t even want to get out of bed. I seem to just be sitting and doing nothing — not even watching Netflix! If this lockdown has taught me anything, it is that I want my future career to be in the NHS so I can help people and give back to this amazing service. It has confirmed my ambitions to stay within the health sector and I am hopeful that once this crisis is over, I will be able to do that!
