Dear All,
Before this deadly pandemic named as COVID-19 hit the world, everything was going so smooth. It was firstly observed in Wuhan, the city of China. When the world came to know about the effects of this virus on the way of living, daily activities and health of the infected person people became scared of it. Within a period of 3-4 months it spread all over the world and Pakistan also came under the influence of this deadly virus. The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic led to a sudden shift in the dynamics of workforce behavior.
I was in grade 12 and was preparing for my final exams as they were around the corner. On the night of March 15, 2020 life took a new turn. I was casually preparing for my next day test and came across the news of nationwide lockdown due this virus as it spreads between the people who are in close contact with each other, typically with six feet distance.
Staying at home for a year disturbed me mentally throughout the lockdown. I went through the stress of career selection in those times as it was the crucial time of my life to decide which field and institution I had to choose for my future career. I lagged behind in studies because the medium of learning turned into online rather than face to face and none of the institution was providing physical classes for entry test preparation. I wanted to be a student of NUST University but unfortunately couldn’t pass its entrance exam and this pandemic is somewhere responsible for that as it took me a lot of time to go through with online learning. I could not give my best due to limitation of resources. Anyhow, I got admission in Institute of Space Technology in Aerospace Engineering and I accepted that as I had interest in space sciences. But there again the pandemic affected my studies as the first two semester went online and didn’t get the opportunity to learn a lot.
So, in terms of education I had to suffer a lot due to this pandemic. But yes, if I talk about some other factors the lockdown period brought some amazing experiences as well. I found time to discover my abilities. As during physical classes the students hardly find some time for the family from their hectic routines and same was the case with me before lockdown. But after the pandemic came, I got ample amount of time to sit around my parents and siblings with endless laughters and gossips. I loved cooking new dishes in my lockdown period and tried a lot of new recipes.
My lockdown journey also improved my relation with my creator as it gave me a plenty of time to sit in a dark corner and to go through all my deeds and where I am standing in the understanding of my religion. This pandemic time brought a lot of new experiences with ups and downs but it made me more stronger than ever as it taught me to tackle with the upcoming challenges. More than a year has passed but still everything is uncertain and no one knows when things will get back to normal. But we should stay courageous during these difficult times and no matter how much falls on us, we should keep plowing ahead. That’s the only way to keep the roads clear.
Sincerely,
Ayesha Zulfiqar
O59
Aero 19A