#SpeakingOut – Surviving the pandemic academic year

by Michael Patrick, Second year Law student.
As a tertiary level student, I received many calls from my counterparts, at various levels, about how the year panned out for them and left me with a few thoughts I should share.

For starters, it seemed as if at points in the year, I was grateful for the online environment, while at others, it felt like how I imagine plucking feathers feels to a chicken.

I think we all know that there is a levelof adaptability that is required for the success of any major change – and going through that process can be stressful and sometimes seem impossible.

The thing is, not much has changed about the way courses were conducted. I can confess that other than the provisions made for technical difficulties regarding the submission of exams, the workload did not really change – rather, in my opinion, it increased.

I get that there is a delicate balance between maintaining the integrity of the degree/certification and providing students with an environment conducive to effective learning. However, libraries were closed this time, and learning from home introduced a new type of distraction.

Challenges which ranged from the loss of family members and spikes in domestic violence to COVID fatigue and anxiety inducing uncertainty – i.e. there was no way of assessing students’ preparedness for handling the rigours of online learning let alone, exam pressure.

At one point, I asked around to get a general idea of how other students were coping. Responses ranged from “I set up a study area in my room,” to “I slept and watch the recorded classes later”. Others seemed unfazed by the whole ordeal – understandably – considering that this particular change would have been a dream circumstance for some, for instance, introverts.

I can tell you, though, that it was not always a glamorous thing – studying at home. Many have commented that their home does not offer the requisite state of mind conducive for productivity. But as the pragmatist would say, “yuh wuh hadda learn”.

We were just not ready. As is the fault of no single person or entity, the truth remains that COVID-19 ambushed us all. This meant that people were going to be disadvantaged, and sadly, it was the majority.

Suffice to say that the “sheep were definitely separated from the goats”. The unfortunate thing is that for many students, it was not because of anything other than financial misfortune.

Even with the efforts of the Ministry of Education and other trusted allies to provide educational technologies and internet connectivity – many were still overlooked and unable to participate and, in some cases, severely demotivated.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if the majority of students examined this year will likely see a decline in their performance due to the radical adjustments that were necessary. The truth is, if you are an over-achiever like I am, even a pandemic is not a satisfactory excuse for ‘poor performance’.

This was perpetuated by the fact that the examining bodies seemed not to have accommodated students enough for that narrative to be changed. There was still an aura of unwavering militance surrounding exams that many students just saw as added stress to what was already an abysmal situation.

Will special consideration be given to persons who sat exams in 2021? For example, is the grading curve going to be reflective of the times we are facing? I cannot answer those questions, but I hope the response is in our favour.

The reality is, that at one point or another, we were bound to reach a state of online dependence and the pandemic just accelerated the process – but it must be appreciated that while it worked for some, for others, it was an uncomfortable adjustment.

The point I am making is that going forward, there needs to be special consideration given to hybridised education in both secondary and tertiary level institution to accommodate everyone.

The benefits could mean, more manageable classroom numbers for secondary teachers and better-quality graduates, overall. For now, this year opened the eyes of many – and mine as well, in many ways.  In fact, I do not think I would be the only one to say, “I’m glad it’s over, and I’m ready to start anew next year.”