By: Abbi Mohan
Six months ago I had a structured routine in place that allowed me to complete any required tasks, but when COVID-19 became more serious my routine was flipped upside down. My daily routine made it possible for me to get up at 7 every morning, go to school, attend club meetings, complete homework and still have free time. COVID-19 forced everyone to work and complete school from home and messed up my routine that has remained consistent for years.
The most difficult change was adjusting to the new way of attending school. Since I have been going to school in-person for over 10 years, switching over to a computer was a huge change. Due to the pandemic, school became more flexible and lacked structure. Schoolwork was assigned at the beginning of the week and the due date was the week later. Consequently, you never got the opportunity to wake up early and be at a desk by 8:30a.m. That flexibility led me to become less productive and also push completing assignments to later times. It was also harder to ask for help. In person you are able to ask as many questions as needed until you achieve a full understanding of the material, but from home, all you can do is send an email. Emails sometimes do not fully get messages across and don’t yield a fast response. Another way COVID-19 has impacted my education negatively is through the limitations of time; there was not enough time to cover required curriculum.
I used to go to the mall or a restaurant on the weekends to relax and de-stress. Not being able to leave my house for months has made me feel trapped. My house, which has always been a safe place, has now become a building that I am not able to leave without risking my health.
This pandemic has also caused my life to become very predictable and boring. It used to be fun, spontaneous and filled with plans with friends, but now I stay at home all day. Having predictable days has made me less motivated and less excited about what the day brings. The lack of motivation has resulted in staying in pajamas all day and not moving around as much.
I have recently started school and this year I felt differently than I used to on every other first day. Usually I would have that feeling of nervous excitement prior to the days before school reopened, I would always prepare a week ahead, but this time I felt no emotion about returning to school. It was like this pandemic had taken away my excitement.
Overall, COVID-19 has changed my established routine and not for the better, however, one day I will look back at this time to see everything that I have experienced. Living through this has made me appreciate things I did not before, such as the privilege of school and given me a different perspective on life.