The Covid19 pandemic of this year has affected the lives of many Malaysians and non-Malaysians in this country. Cutting off their chain of direct contact from far away relatives and intellectual institutions.
The same goes for our endearing university students. Surely with the permission of Allah, this plague will pass us by as soon as possible and then things will return as they had been.
But could it really be as easy as it sounds? Some students have found it difficult and even traumatic to have a sudden paradigm shift in their lives early this year due to the inception of Covid19. Their once perfectly organised and peaceful routines have been completely thrown out the window. Some really do struggle having to cope with a new routine that’s up in the air and full of uncertainty. Especially those who are currently stuck in their dorms and are worried about their family’s health.
Hopefully by now most have come to terms with their new life under the RMO instituted by the current government. But let’s be optimistic for a bit. Let’s look to the future in which we don’t have to worry about Covid19 anymore.
Imagine this: Universities are open again. You’re finally seeing your friend’s actual faces again. There isn’t a hint of hesitation as you shake each other’s hands and just being able to hang out at a mamak again like the good old days. But it might not be that easy for everyone. Especially for the academically inclined.
Now let’s look at this future through our most pessimistic lens available. How are classes going to be conducted from here on? Are the assignment dates going to change or still be the same? How are students going to make up for the potentially lost participation points in curricular activities?
Thinking about all these brings about an entirely new anxiety for some. If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably let your brain slack off and turn into mush as a result of not catching up on your studies when you had the chance, or the sadness when you realized that you’ve gained weight during the RMO. Well I’m here to help you make sure you can land back on your feet when your campus opens again and to make sure you walk back in full of confidence just like you did when you first entered.
To prepare when classes opens again, the work starts before that. With the times we are blessed with during the RMO, there’s absolutely plenty that we can get done. Now I don’t want to sound like a dead horse but now is the best time as any to hit the books. When my semester started prior to Covid19. I couldn’t keep up with my Contracts class because it was kinda hard and I didn’t had much time to study for it. But now, I can safely say that I somewhat understand the elements of a contract. You might even get a grip on subjects your lecturer hasn’t even touched on yet. You’ll definitely impress them and your coursemates. Bonus participation marks there.
Make a new schedule. I know you already had that schedule you made in the start of the semester but as recent events have proven, the world does not comply with your schedule. I don’t mean your class schedule as those are normally fixed ‘till the end of time. I’m talking about your routines. As a precautionary measure, you should also include hygenic practices into your new routine. I urge for a new routine because as of the beginning of the semester, the dates of everything are going to be jumbled up so it’s best to be flexible to respond to the new deadlines.
On top of that, maintain consistency. It might be possible that you had a rough start to the semester and you managed to catch up to your studies during the RMO. What is important now is maintaining the consistency you had during the RMO and bring it to the following semester. Where some might have gotten sloppy and were slapped in the face with immediate assignments and homework, you are already prepared to attack it.
I genuinely hope everyone reading this is doing well and in the best of health. We would never be tested with something we could not handle. Hopefully with what I’ve shared with you, you’d be able to grab the semester by the collar of it’s shirt and take full control of it on your way to the dean’s list.