It feels like COVID stole my education from me.

[FFAFF]

I don't know how to begin this, so I just will.


I go to a major American university. When the pandemic hit, we, thankfully, took it very seriously and locked down quickly and we locked down hard. We transitioned to online learning quickly, and I couldn't have asked for better management and policy from our school - particularly in the absence of any higher leadership.

I just finished my junior fall semester under lockdown. This my second batch of courses under quarantine, and I'm a bit miffed at the state of things right now.

My university experience did not start out great - to summarize it, it was a lot of rude staff, loneliness, and, most damningly, a lot of prerequisite courses that I felt very frustrated about taking before I could get to my actual major. Thankfully, most of that has subsided - I'm in my degree program now, and I'm making good progress towards it.

I like class. I was a good student in school, and I value my education very highly in my own life. Academic routine was something I was very well-adjusted to, and it was something I was proud of.

I can safely say I've retained almost nothing from my courses this semester, and I hate it. I've been scraping by with barely-passing grades - but not for lack of trying. I'm genuinely engaged and interested in the material we're learning; I'm at the point where I'm really getting into the meat-and-potatoes of my major and I really try to keep myself afloat, but I just can't work like this.

I practically collapsed and couldn't get myself to do anything from the week of the election to Thanksgiving break, and when that finally hit, I had the energy to work hard again only to find that I had scarcely two weeks in the semester left.

On a more positive note - I've elected to purchase and read my course's textbook alongside a few other books covering the material over the break. It's genuinely cool stuff, I just wish I could do this semester over with an actual class again.

Does anyone else feel like this right now? I feel like I've retained nothing through this semester and it genuinely upsets me to my core. There was a version of right now where I would've actually just finished a semester of school and come away smarter and proud of my work, and I feel like that was stolen right beneath me by this damned stupid virus and the failure of people that are supposed to protect us from doing what they're paid to.

[Rivière]

I feel grateful to the fact I graduated a year before this virus hit. I cannot imagine how you or any other student is or what you're going through right now. You are quite right, Covid has stolen your education from you.

A client of mine who is a teacher told me that the kids in her class have literally gone backwards in their education. Under normal circumstances, the kid would have been able to write properly by now, yet most of them barely have the ability to even spell their own name.

It's quite obvious that education ministers and those in leadership did not anticipate something such as this affecting education and the lives trying to learn. It's clearly made up as time passes. While I understand that, to a degree, no one can truly anticipate everything, there should have been better contingency for the situation.

People like yourself have been punished and it's not fair.

[DeletedAccount53]

Covid stole my education, too, so I decided to pay for an online university education so I can get my Masters degree in English Literature (thank the good Lord for for spell check!), but I hope one day to be able to teach. Maybe teach, but we live in uncertain times and goodness knows how many like you@FFAFF are struggling right now at your university.

There is hope in the various Covid vaccination options currently in force. I hope you can get vaccinated despite the appalling obstackles you are having to endure.

I work full time as self-employed in Maman's small farm holding and know the difficulties of balancing what has got to be done, and then going to catch up on the next 5,000 word essay. It is hard indeed, but these Covid times are teaching us tenacity, determination and motivation.

Our world was never meant to be easy. Our lives, a struggle, But we will, eventually, win through. @Rivière , my sentiments also.

My ex-Mother had always warned of a pandemic, yet nobody believed her. We can thank Professor Sarah Gilbert who designed the Oxford vaccine who went by her instinct, who with others such as Prof Teresa Lambe, and Prof Gilbert for being the architects who are going to save lives, but for now we must put on a brave face and meet our brave new world.

@FFAFF I am so sorry you have to go through this nightmare. But I believe you are going to become stronger for it, and one day like me, come away with well earnt university degree.

My very best to you both