The New Normal: How Life Has Changed Since Pandemic
How I adapt to the new normal education setting
The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant disruption to all aspects of life specifically in how classes were conducted both in offline and online modes. The sudden shift to a purely online method of teaching and learning was a result of the lockdowns that were imposed by the Philippine government. While some institutions have dealt with the situation by shutting down operations, others continued to deliver instructions and lessons using the Internet and different applications that support online learning. The continuation of online classes caused several issues for students and teachers ranging from lack of technology to mental health matters. Finally, recommendations were asserted to mitigate the presented concerns and improve the delivery of the necessary quality education to the intended learners. (Aris, 2021)
In 2019, I graduated from Junior High School at Sacred Heart Academy of Bangued. I had mixed up emotions going into Senior High school. I always dreamed of studying at a big university outside my hometown. It will be my first time living in a city by myself, without my family and they said that it is 3 times harder than junior high school, so I was shocked and overwhelmed. I have been asking myself if I will still continue going to a big university. However, I was looking forward to meeting new people and living in a new environment.
Then, I enrolled at the University of the Cordilleras,
and I took Accountancy, Business, and Management. I was so excited to move to a
new city and we went to look for my dorm or apartment right away. I can say that it was so hard to find a dorm or apartment near the University of the Cordilleras. Then suddenly, the
announcement that changed everything and we did not expect came, Philippine Government imposed a lockdown
and everyone in the country can't do anything but follow. Staying in our home
became mandatory for months, and our area was in Enhanced Community Quarantine. It was so hard to adjust, everything is
temporarily unavailable. Face-to-Face implementation was delayed for months or
a year until they announced that learning or education will be held online.
Instead of buying school supplies
for face-to-face, we bought a laptop for the new learning set up which is
online distance learning. We also upgraded our internet connection since my
siblings also shifted from traditional learning to online learning. The problem with the internet connection in the Philippines is too slow even though you pay enough or I must say it is too much because the service is not that good. It is one of my problems before, but it's good that the teachers were understanding since they experienced it too.
As a student who is more familiar
with the traditional classroom, it was hard for me to adjust because it was harder
to communicate and approach people since I am a shy person. I was an extrovert
before and I became introverted due to staying in the house for months. I became
less attentive and had little to no participation. It took me 2 months to gain a new friend, thankfully, she approached me first. We talked, shared moments and
experiences, and we became best friends. Then she introduced me to our
classmates who happened to be her friends and then we became one circle of
friends. Because of them, I was slowly adjusting to the new normal, and I find online
distance learning an effective way of learning but I like traditional learning way better. We can still communicate, share
ideas, collaborate, and many more related school works that needed collaboration
despite the distance we have since we are in different parts of Luzon.
As time goes by, online distance
learning is affecting my mental health, not only for me but also for some students
around the world. I was struggling so much that I asked my parents, “What if I
stop for a while then I will continue when everything is back to normal?”, they
had mixed emotions about what I asked them but instead of scolding me, they encouraged
me and waited for my final decision. When I heard their encouraging words, I got
inspired to continue what I started, and I suddenly thought that they are right.
I said to myself, “Ako nga nahihirapan, eh paano naman yung nagpapaaral?”, that
gave the reason to be more eager to carry on. Time is gold, I know that I
cannot afford to lose 1 year because of an impulsive decision. I did not know that
such comforting words is all I needed.
In Grade 11, My friends and I
were part of the students with distinctions. I graduated senior high school
with honors. My friends and family were so proud of me. Even when the time I doubted myself, got low scores, and was in the middle of giving up, they did not pressure
me. They showed that they got me even when things are rough.
Moving up to college, I was so
nervous because I know that it is more difficult than senior high school, so I prepared
myself. In the first semester, we are still in an online setup. It was still hard,
but I got used to it. The pressure, anxiety, and struggle are still there. One
thing I learned in this whole new normal setup is to be patient, not only in school-related matters but also with yourself. I had a lot of sleepless nights,
unknown thoughts, and crying session days but everything became normal to me that
it was nothing after those episodes.
Having friends who listen and
understand you is very important, especially in college. Luckily, I have been
blessed more than I expected. We laugh, we cry, we share, and we got each other
back.
In our second semester, the
face-to-face setup is back, it is still blended since we have an ODL schedule. It
is better than purely online. I missed the feeling of waking up and preparing
early to go to school. This is what I have been longing for the past three
years. It feels good to be back at school, facing the board, talking with your
seatmate, listening to the teacher, eating at the canteen and lunch after
school with friends, doing school works together, hanging out after class, and
many more.
As time passes, I learned a lot, not only academic lessons but also life lessons. I must say, everyone, should have people they can rely on. I feel like I became a better version of myself since the pandemic started. I experienced things I did not know I will go through with. As I was looking back, I find myself wishing that I had done things differently but I was also thankful despite the hardships it gave me. Everything might be hard now, but it also goes by. Everything happens so quickly, a lot of changes either in a bad or good way, but a lot also remained with little improvement.
A message to my past self: I am so proud of how you become. You did your best. Thank you for being strong. Present Tey is always proud and happy for you. She is now okay, everything is on the right path. Sorry for the things you experienced that you did not deserve. So, please do not blame yourself, you know that everything happens for a reason. I will make sure that things will go differently. I promise you that your dreams will come true. -Tey, 2023
REFERENCES:
Aris E. Ignacio. (2021). Online classes and learning in the Philippines during the Covid-19 Pandemic. International Journal on Integrated Education, 4(3), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.31149/ijie.v4i3.1301
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