This lockdown was not the same for all of us. Some of us had the best family time of our lives during this pandemic. Whereas some went through depression, anxiety, insomnia thus, staying at home was not easy for those people.
Talking about myself, I think I have become the laziest person in all this time. I have lost my ability to critically analyze anything. But on the other hand, I have learned cooking and baking. I have spent a lot of time with family. I have become emotional and sensitive to everything going around me.
The challenges that I faced through this time were mostly the burden of my studies. The fluctuating speed of PTCL net, burden to complete assignments with 0 concepts, giving vivas, online presentations, and quizzes were hard to manage. My eyesight got affected badly because of screen interaction for many hours in a day and decreased from -0.5 to -3. Giving the online exams on cameras and still getting a CGPA below 3 was heartbreaking.
The hardest time I faced during the pandemic time was in November 2020, as my grandmother had severe covid pneumonia. I stayed with her for daily 12 hrs at night time, taking care of her and then returning home in the morning, taking the class while partially sleeping, then after 5 hrs sleep, I had to make up the assignments, cook the meal for my younger siblings and then again to the hospital. Somehow, I managed to take my studies along with it with the help of my friends, as they helped me out with what was being taught. Thus, it was the hardest time for me to manage everything.
Studying online has decreased all my hopes. The purpose of selecting such a career and investing money was obviously to get a degree with skills, with knowledge but as the pandemic hit by all my hopes have been destroyed. As an engineering degree requires lab works, performing the tasks so they can remain in a min but we are just forced to by heart each and everything we are been taught. Thus, in this 1 year, I have gained 0 skills and what was taught in the previous 2 semesters has vanished from my mind.
I fear that if online classes continue, I won’t be able to get any learning and no job as the job demands skills not just a piece of degree.
After the pandemic ends (Soon Insha’Allah), and everything gets back to normal. It would be very hard for us students to continue the same with studies. As during online lectures we prefer more listening to recordings and dot down every concept told by the teacher. But during physical classes, it would not be possible to do so. The burden of the previous 2 semester’s labs along with current semester workloads would be disastrous. In my opinion, after the pandemic, we university students should be taught the basics of material subjects along with the practical tasks so we could get our concepts more cleared.
Sincerely,
Isra Fayyaz
029
MS-E 12(B)