Apparently, the virus has been a lot of things. It has been a hindrance to the lifestyle we were once used to, a cause for an economy’s breakdown, and basically a threat to our health. But one thing that the coronavirus is not: an excuse to escape our responsibilities, particularly the dreadful education that we are met with today.
It seems that some students have found it convenient to use the pandemic as their get-out-of-jail-free card for when they feel the need to pass up the day’s early morning session for that tempting extra hour of sleep, or perhaps they might ask for deadline extensions just for the sake that they forgot when the actual deadline was. Either way, this has made us irresponsible students—making the online setting harder than it already is for us. It is as if we create our own demise, and blame the pandemic for it.
Now we can agree that teachers have been considerate and understanding, well, for the most part. But one reality stands—some students are still struggling. May it be due to issues of connectivity, lack of technology, technical knowledge, personal problems, etc., they all have the right to attest their distaste with today’s current education.
It is imperative that we tread lightly in discussing the use of the pandemic card to not invalidate the students who are actually frustrated with how online learning has turned out for them. Unfortunately, as we all might know, some are less privileged than others, and this is where we must dissect the problem appropriately. It is one thing to be unprivileged, and another to act as one.
We could all attest that online classes have been an absolute pain in the butt, but it does not mean we resurface behaviors that were already there—way before the coronavirus ever came into the picture. It would seem unfair for the students who are actually persevering, despite the limitations placed unto them.
In light of finding a solution to a problem such as this one, perhaps we could provide ourselves with ways as to how we could cope with the stress and expectations heavily stacked on us. Amidst trying times such as today, surgency and persistence are being asked of us.
Instead of protesting about how online class is totally a lost cause, we could do ourselves a favor and manage our time productively. This could ease our temper on why that one teacher is giving out unreasonably great numbers of assignments.
Now if that might seem futile, we could voice out our concerns as students to teachers—to lessen the load of requirements being given in the hopes that they approve, which most would do, considering our present situations.
Lastly, and this might not be in the vocabulary of some, asking for help from our classmates, friends, and relatives could go a long way. While you are at it, you could also reach out to someone who could use a helping hand, knowing the feeling of being in that same position.
Though in all honesty, we cannot blame ourselves since it is a fact that the online setting has insinuated stress like never before. However, one thing we could blame ourselves for is belittling our capabilities as individuals and thinking that this pandemic is an appropriate excuse for passiveness toward our studies and education.
All the commotion with how we are in the “new normal” seems a bit too overwhelming as we were well accustomed to the life that we had pre-lockdown. Nevertheless, whether we like it or not, we have to start accepting that times have changed, and this calls for slow adjustments with the life and education that we have as of now.
This is the bitter reality that we need to accept and digest.
