~ By Samridhi, Prakriti, Vanshika, Yashika, Jiah, Manika
It has been more than a year since the pandemic hit the entire world. Things changed in a way no one ever imagined them to be. No hierarchy can be built to determine whose loss is of the greatest magnitude. However, it is an undeniable fact that students have missed out on a lot of things due to this pandemic resulting in frequent lockdowns. To get a genuine perspective of what students feel about this situation, our domain members interviewed kids studying at SKCF. This article has been divided into two parts, namely school experience, and college experience – to do justice to students belonging to both institutions.
SCHOOL LIFE IN PANDEMIC
Following is the experience of one of our domain members, currently in her 12th standard.
The Covid-19 pandemic has completely changed people’s life right from their sleeping patterns to their working schedules. Being a class 12th student myself, changed my entire pattern of sleeping and studying. Considering the brighter side, the pandemic has allowed me to connect with my family at a deeper level and reflect on the purpose of life, my goals. As students don’t have to travel to go to their respective schools and coaching institutions that is saving some portion of their time spent in travelling which students have been utilizing for self-exploration. I developed a few new habits in my lifestyle during the current period. I started initially from watching series and movies and then came the time when I rediscovered the world of classic literature. It’s been a great pleasure reading fiction daily apart from the academic curriculum.
However, there is no denying that the prevailing situation makes me gloomy at times. I am no longer able to see my classmates and teachers physically.
The online lectures are not as engaging and intriguing as the actual classroom environment but I strongly believe that e-mode of learning is a new exposure to students. It is a whole new experience exploring a new way of learning. It is making students more responsible regarding their studies as there are no such strict rules in e-learning but on the other hand, it’s increasing work pressure as students aren’t well adapted to learning via these high-tech gadgets. These online classes are encouraging students to learn without notebooks which might be a fantastic idea for some but from my personal experience, I miss writing in notebooks. Notebooks have been a part of our teaching system for ages and I find it difficult to replace them with e-books.
Students have to sit in front of their screens for long hours which is affecting their eyesight, hearing efficiency, and digestive system. Adhering to the psychological aspect, the children are suffering from anxiety and are having mood swings due to a lack of physical environment. They’re very much worried for their future during these unprecedented times, they need assurance and support from their mentors, especially the current batch of class 12th. It would have been more fascinating to explore medical science in laboratories rather than from the virtual world. I hope to study the remaining class 12th on the school campus and have a pleasant farewell.
Let us look at the experience of some students at SKCF.
Life has derailed for each one of us in some way or the other owing to the circumstances birthed by the novel coronavirus. It’s been months since children have had the chance to taste the classroom air, feed their hungry tummies with everyday gossip, and shake off the playground sand from their pant pockets. Online classes have taken away the interaction, communication, community-learning, and tete-a-tetes resulting in a long-term impact on the physical as well as psychological growth of children.
In these trying and tiring times, SKCF has resolved to contribute further to the betterment of human society by organising online classes for students of all standards up till the 10th. A little interaction with the students at SKCF is enough to realise how the efforts put forth by the organisation to make education and knowledge accessible to underprivileged children is changing their learning experience. Daily 2-3 hours classes of all subjects are held for each student in short, selective batches.
The classes are interactive and fun. Earlier they faced various issues while attending school, some had to travel far which wasn’t a safe and viable option while others faced trouble grasping theoretical concepts. At SKCF, owing to the limited batches and approachable teachers, the students are now able to express and understand themselves as well as the subjects better. These online classes provide them with the much-needed individual attention and focus to details which, as pointed out by a girl in 10th standard, has helped them improve upon their English grammar and speaking skills. The daily personal interaction has helped them become more confident individuals with dreams of becoming a teacher, a doctor, a college professor and so much more.
Of course, online classes lack the everyday games and gossip which was earlier a major part of their school life but the over-weighing advantage of superior education triumphs all. SKCF has helped them realise not just the importance of imparting education but wielding the mighty sword of knowledge. Anyone can sit and count the disadvantages and downsides of online learning but ask these kids what meaning access to a virtual classroom holds for them. In their own words- “SKCF classes are the best.”
In a nutshell, it is a mix bag, isn’t it?
COLLEGE LIFE
Let us now turn to college students and get to know what they feel about online learning.
Balancing College Life- How to manage college societies and studies
Getting into a college society and managing its tasks and workload along with hundreds of pending assignments, tests, and semester exams can be very difficult if not properly planned and executed. Working of the societies is very important because they represent the whole college. It is a very competitive environment, without any scope for you to make any mistake.
One should know their capacities, the level to which they can stretch themselves. One should join societies, internships if they feel they can comfortably carry them on along with the academics. One always needs to remember that societies are extra-curricular activities in college and our course is our chosen path for our career. But Societies are very important to get exposure to the real world, which is fast-paced and rigorous, they teach you time management skills and how to be ready for the real corporate world.
Getting into a society of your choice can be a real tough task. No matter how talented you are, the competition to get into society is very high. If you are chosen in a society, not of your interest can make you doubt your decision almost every day. The tasks of society are as crucial as are your assignments, because your attitude, passion, and work represent the entire college and its reputation.
To not drown in your work, set a rough timetable, deciding when to study and work on assignments and when to devote all your undivided attention to society meetings and work. Attending classes is very important to be in touch with your syllabus. As much as we look forward to having a gay time and making new friends in college, we become ready for life, responsible, and much more informed and equipped with skills. Talking and sometimes ranting to our friends can make us feel light and cheerful.
We must take up activities only if we feel we can take them up. Set time for studies and when to take up social work, remember diligence and regularity is the key. We should not keep things for last and not procrastinate. Then our college life can be stress-free and balanced. We need to learn to prioritise our tasks.
WEBINARS AND ONLINE COMPETITIONS – THE LIGHTER SIDE
Online webinars and courses are being held so that students don’t miss out on anything. Conducting webinars and courses online has become a lot easier since a large number of people can be accommodated and professionals from anywhere can join us online.
Innovative competitions like online debates, meme-making, poetry writing, dance competitions, etc are held so that students also bond with each other and their creativity also flourishes while sitting at home.
To keep themselves occupied and also learn something new, students are applying for various work-from-home internships in their respective fields of interest. Websites like Internshala, Linkedin, HelloIntern, Freshersworld have gained popularity amidst the lockdown. Virtual internships give us the confidence and experience that we will require for our future roles.
HOW TO MANAGE COLLEGE ASSIGNMENTS AND OPEN BOOK TESTS?
College Assignment
Writing a decent college project is important for earning excellent scores and getting recognized by instructors, which can’t be a bad thing, right? You may accomplish these goals and create a superb college assignment by following these instructions.
Writing a superb college project that grips the reader until the finish can be a difficult challenge in an age where individuals can’t keep their concentration intact beyond 280 characters (due to Twitter obsession). The majority of students do not take college tasks seriously and are just concerned with completing them before even the deadline.
That was not an ideal strategy since they miss out on so much information which might truly aid them in gaining grades and also develop their writing abilities.
While the criteria for preparing a college assignment differ from stream to stream, there are certain fundamental principles applicable to every sort of assignment writing. Similarly, there are just some particular tips and methods that you may use when writing your college assignment to improve your learning opportunity and guarantee that you receive high scores for your efforts.
Here are a few tips to help you finish good college assignments on time while also earning your faculty members’ love and credibility.
Well-researched topic
You should begin your project by thoroughly comprehending the task at hand. If you’re writing a technical paper, you should conduct a thorough study and understand the essential ideas. Consider different perspectives from which the topic can be approached and written if it is an art paper.
Construct a Blueprint
The first draught should be focused on jotting down the first set of thoughts that come to mind. At this point, don’t worry about grammar mistakes or sentence structure. Get into the habit of writing and draw down a basic outline for the rest of your project. You may always go back and forth and make changes, but the overall concept should be obvious.
Open-Book exams allow you to bring notes, texts, online books, or other resources into the exam room. They are often used in subjects that require direct reference to written materials, such as law statutes, figures, or acts of parliament since they measure the ability to identify and apply facts and expertise. An open-book test would require you to understand the material and be able to apply or interpret it rather than only memorize it. This means you’ll have to prepare to get prepared because you won’t be able to memorize anything! You don’t want to waste time during the exam looking for things or looking over materials for the first time. You’ll need to keep track of the materials you’re permitted to use.
What do Open Book exams mean?
In different contexts, “open-book” means different things. You have to make sure you understand what you are and are not able to access during the Exam. What are the contents of your notes? Is it a textbook or a collection of the best books? What’s this, the internet? Parents, friends, or a TA? Is there a tutor? Do you have a dog, a cat, a fish, or a plant?
You must also be familiar with the exam’s structure and rules in general. These include understanding whether the exam is multiple-choice, problem-solving, or essay-based. You’ll also need to see how long you have to finish the test. Every instructor and exam is different, so go over the syllabus to get as much information as possible.
Some pros of open-book exams
- Open-book exams have the potential to eradicate rote learning, which is pervasive in Indian education. Students will be encouraged to be critical and imaginative while they develop their analytical skills.
- Memory-based exams frequently reward students with better memories. They are a source of concern for students who understand the concepts but are unable to memorize them. Students with different learning abilities can benefit from open-book exams.
- Students can learn concepts in peace without fear of memory-based tests. In a conventional exam setup, Students are focusing their efforts on exam preparation rather than conceptual understanding.
- Open-book exams have the potential to reform the teaching process and increase educational efficiency.
- It can also be used to prevent theft and plagiarism.
CONCLUSION
To conclude, one can say that the experience of students is like a shade of grey. Every student has more or less an ambivalent feeling about it. But one thing is for sure, everyone wants the pandemic to end and go back to their educational institutions as soon as possible.
