Struggles in Learning At the Dawn of the Pandemic

    I was just a freshman in college when the pandemic emerged. It was the second week of March 2020, and we just finished our midterm examination for the second semester, when our school announced that classes will be suspended for a week. They said that classes would resume after a week or maybe in 14 days.  However, weeks turned into months and then into years. At first, I was happy with how there were no classes until the end of the semester. Our school carried our midterm grade as our final semestral grade for that school year. The teachers only provided us with softcopies of the remaining topics to be covered. We were not required to submit the activities for they were only for self-assessment. My parents were worried because I was only living alone in the city so I went home to our province since there were no more face-to-face classes. Our internet connection in the province was very slow and it could take an hour to download the normal size of our handouts. I was not troubled then because there was no online class at that time and we were not obliged to submit the activities. The struggle started when the first semester of the school year 2020-2021 commenced. 

    I was not prepared when the class started. The learning environment was different from what it used to be. The usual class discussion went from the classroom to the phone through the connection to the internet. My greatest dilemma was my internet connection, it was really slow. Occasionally, I do not join the video conferences or if I join I was frequently disconnected so I ended up gaining almost nothing from the discussion. More than that, the hardship of answering my quizzes became even tougher with the pressure of battling the time limits with the super slow internet. There were times when I feel super down to the point of shedding a tear because of the slow internet connection. It was really disappointing to study when the medium for instruction does not match what you have or your resources. Even downloading the handouts given by the teacher was a struggle. I really had to find a perfect place where I can have a stronger connection. Unfortunately, the best place in our house was outside with no shade from the sun or the rain. I had to have a better internet connection so I had to compromise. I used an umbrella to have a shield from the pricking heat of the sun. The problem was that when it rains, the internet connection even outside our house was really slow. Moreover, our electric provider frequently had blackouts so it really added to my dilemma. Thankfully, some teachers were understanding enough and made arrangements so that students like me who had slow internet could still follow the pace.

    Other than the slow internet, I also had difficulties with the requirements. You have to have good resources like better gadgets to make better outputs and stronger internet to access information. I also have to learn new skills and improve my other skills to adapt to the learning arrangements. Most requirements include encoding, and creating infographics, mindmaps, posters, and videos. Fortunately, I had learned to touch-type then so I just need to improve my speed. For the other skills, I have to learn how to use new software and be familiar with its interface and features to be able to create posters or videos. I downloaded tutorials from YouTube and watched them or I read from websites if the internet connection is slow. From there, I was able to get familiar with the different software. However, as I said, better gadgets are really necessary because some software lags. After all, my laptop has a low processor. I really had to extend my patience to the highest level. I also had to find alternatives to have access to resources. Yes, there are many resources on the net but my problem was the slow connection so I borrowed books from acquaintances and took pictures of them.

    My determination to learn and finish my studies coupled with my highest level of patience was my primary motivation to keep going. Despite the struggles I had undergone during distance learning, I was proud that I had fought and overcame those struggles. The moral support of my family and some friends also greatly helped me survive the challenges of learning during the pandemic. The interventions and the understanding of the teachers were also noteworthy and something I was thankful for.

    I am now in my fourth year of college and as of this moment, we are having limited face-to-face classes. Despite the hardships during distance learning, I still learned many things. I have acquired new skills and I believe I have improved into a much better person with determination, patience, empathy, and full of gratitude.