My Semester is Over! +thoughts on school during the era of Covid

This past week was finals week at my college, which means I’m finally free from school! For month, at least, until I go back to torture myself…I mean, to learn more. But let’s not think about that as I celebrate another successful semester!

I wanted to do just a relaxing post discussing my experiences and thoughts about going to school during a pandemic where the world has gone insane. And honestly, this semester has been harder than any other before, and it shouldn’t have been.

I’m not going to get into the right and wrong of shutdowns and my college deciding to hold most of their classes online. I honestly just dealt with the hand I was given in this situation. However, let me just mention that I’m one of the most disciplined students in any class I have ever been in, and I really struggled to be disciplined this semester. And for someone like me, who loves school and is one of the best students who rarely struggles, I cannot imagine how much a student who has issues focusing or staying organized struggled this semester.

Especially considering colleges are charging the same amount but giving so much less aid to students while forcing both students and teachers to kind of pick up the slack in just figuring it out. A lot of things about this semester perturbed me, and I honestly don’t blame my teachers, who I think mostly did the best they could with their limited experience concerning technology and dealing with so few students coming to each class (most of my classes had about half the students each class).

The reality is that this semester was hard on everyone, and I cannot imagine how hard it was for kids younger than college age, who were forced to sit in front of a computer screen and figure it out. I’m sorry, when I was ten I could not just figure it out.

Saying that, I shouldn’t complain. I didn’t lose my job or home during this pandemic, whereas so many other people did. So many small businesses I knew in Minnesota have closed, and yet big businesses aren’t struggling at all, mostly staying open during everything. It’s just a bit frustrating, and this year more than any other I’ve tried to focus on helping small businesses and not shopping as much on Amazon and other big companies. But considering how some people’s livelihoods are been destroyed and others have lost friends and family members (either to Covid or to suicide, which as increased highly during these lockdowns), I am incredibly lucky, even if this semester was stressful.

In other news, my next semester is entirely online too, so that’s great.

I know I’m just blathering, but I think it’s important to try to appreciate what we do have, not what we lack. Christmas is just around the corner, and there is information that a vaccine is in the works. Even during the darkest times, there is hope.

We have all been dealt the life that are given us, but it is what we do with that life which truly brings us happiness, no matter how unfortunate we are. And there is Christmas, and lights, and good cheer, even if those we love aren’t near.

Gosh, that rhymed…I need to stop.

I’ve blathered on long enough, and I’m sure everyone reading this has better things to do than read my mixed up thoughts.

What are your thoughts about online school, and life during Covid? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments, follow my blog for more musings and, as always,

Best wishes in your life full of adventure,

Madame Writer