In the spirit of being there for one another amidst these troubling times, I thought I would also contribute, by sharing an insight to how I have been dealing with everything in the hope that it might prove helpful to some of you.
Being in my final year means that I currently have seven outstanding assessments on my mind, so I can relate to how sometimes revision can become very dull and unmotivating. What has helped me is to try and get at least three/four hours of active work done most days.
My routine begins with getting out of bed after snoozing the alarm a couple of times, enjoying a comfortable breakfast, with the tv on in the background whilst waiting for that morning coffee to kick in before I head to my workstation. Getting the main portion of work done early on means it’s out of the way and by the time you’ve had lunch there won’t be that much left to do. I would always choose to work on one assessment per day, that way you can really focus on making some headway and you’ll see results each time you conclude that study sesh.
The reason I chose to bring up studying first is because having previously spent a couple of weeks gaming, watching everything on Netflix and Amazon Prime, and killing time on my phone left me feeling quite empty. As original as it sounds, forcing myself to sit down and start getting work done, that wasn’t due for a couple of weeks, did reinstate a sense of purpose in my life.
It doesn’t have to be just studying. I think you can achieve the same by progressing in any activity or skill you may previously have had or are completely starting afresh. It’s the perfect time to revisit forgotten talents, rekindle lost friendships or focus on self-development.
For example,I used to really love drawing, Visual Arts being one of my main subjects in the IB (highschool) but I haven’t really drawn or painted anything in ages until now. Ok, I still haven’t found the time, but that’s because of the seven assessments and I’d rather spend those remaining hours of free time with my friends online. For those of you who do own a computer or a console I would really consider checking which of your friends or even acquaintances have the same games. I mean warzone and fortnite are free to download and it’s amazing, I am sure you could find a way of how those experiences demonstrate skills of leadership and teamwork and deserve a place on your CV. But in all seriousness, it really does help to find new ways to spend time with you friends and family, especially for those of us who are living alone.
Whenever I find myself aimlessly drifting through my apartment, avoiding studying or cleaning up the mess from cooking, I do sometimes remember that I can call friends I haven’t caught up with in ages. Normally we would be so focused with our daily routines, meeting the same people, doing the same things that now you can really use this opportunity to give that mate a call and catch up.
Being there for one another is really important but equally is being there for yourself. I think if anything I have also learned that you can trust yourself more than you give yourself credit for. This pandemic has impacted all of our lives and we have had to face challenges that we could not have foreseen. Nonetheless, we improvise, adapt and overcome (INSERT MEME) and at the end I think we are going to be proud with how each of us has grown into a stronger and more resilient version of ourselves.
Daniel Pfister, SU Treasurer
