Hello, all. Before I start, I would like to introduce myself. I am Mehpara Syed from Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Today, I’ll be sharing my Covid-19 experience.
The pandemic radically changed my life. When I used to go to school, by the end of the day, I would be exhausted – mentally as well as physically. As a result, I did not have trouble falling asleep. But now, I don’t get tired enough during the day, so I can’t sleep at night, and I wake up late in the morning. That’s why I am sometimes late for, or even miss, my online classes.
Earlier, I used to wake up at 8 am and by 9 am I would already be at school. After classes, I would go to a tutor, and then play sports. When I’d come home, I would finish my homework and hang out with my friends, if we had free time. I would go to bed sometime between 11 pm and midnight.
But now, I get up at noon or even as late as 1-2 pm. When the weather is good, I may go out to ride my bicycle with my family members, but the rest of the time, I’m at home playing online games and watching films. I go to bed at 1-2 am and at times, I video-chat with my friends until 3-4 am, sometimes until morning.
My teachers are trying to teach classes as they did in school, but still, I can’t say that online classes are as interesting as they were in person. At least now, I have a bit less homework to do. I was more active during classes while in school, there was more interaction. The softwares we use for online classes cannot replace the school. In order to make online learning effective, they should develop a special online programme that could be adapted to school teaching. At the same time, teachers should be familiar with using the programme.
For me, the hardest thing in the new reality is the new reality itself: doing nothing (for almost two months) and the immense lack of communication with my friends in real life. It is not unbearable, but it is very difficult.
My life has changed completely since my school closed. Earlier, I used to spend most of my day at school with my classmates. Now, this is my free time. When I was still going to school, my schedule was really full. I would get up early, prepare for school, and I also attend extra classes of German, chess, circle dancing and so on.
Now, my schedule is organised according to the self-isolation rules. I wake up at 10 am, have breakfast, and then attend my online classes. I spend my free time as I wish, then I prepare for my lessons. Sometimes, I watch classes on my TV. Since I have plenty of time now and I am at home all the time, I try to balance out working and having free time on my own.
Interaction with my classmates in school is what I miss the most from my pre-pandemic life. When I was going to school, I had more homework, but the lessons were way more engaging and interesting, I could concentrate better. Online schooling is very new. At times, I struggle with online group studying because I don’t understand what the teacher is saying because of erratic internet connection and other technical problems.
But it’s interesting, too. I have learnt how to do homework electronically and search for information on the Internet. Earlier, I used to think that the Internet was only for entertainment. I want to go back to school soon, but before that happens, I want to be able to communicate on the Internet without interruptions.