Aagam Jain
The academic year 2020 began like no other. We were going to study online. The pandemic had forced us to stay inside our homes and learning was going to happen remotely. This wasn’t something either the student or the teacher was prepared for. But, over time we have adapted to this new style of learning and though I agree that online learning isn’t the most effective type of learning, it’s the best that we can do in the circumstances, and it is not without its benefits. Today, we are living in a VUCA world, where volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity are part of everyday life. We are learning to expect the unexpected, to prepare for change and willing to adapt. I think this is a great learning experience.
With so many changes happening around me, my daily routine too has changed. This is how a typical day begins and ends for me now.
• My day starts around 7:30 am with yoga.
• Then I have some breakfast and sit for my online classes which begin at 8:20 am and end at 2:20 pm with breaks in between.
• After a long day in-front of the screen, I take out my cycle for a ride around my colony for 30 minutes or so.
• At 3:00 pm I play with my friends online or with my siblings, or I watch the television.
• From 5-6 pm I complete my homework and assignments.
• From 6-7 pm I exercise to keep myself fit. I am a very athletic person. I love soccer and swimming. With little or no opportunities to indulge in my favourite sporting activities now, exercising is the only way to stay active.
• From 7-8 pm I have extra classes where I am currently learning about cloud computing, databases, storage, servers and other things that help grow and scale a person’s business. It is quite interesting, and the things that you can learn now are endless.
• From 8-10 pm I read a book or chat with my friends, watch a movie or play with my siblings; it’s like my free time.
• I go to bed at around 10:30 pm.
Will my daily routine change again? Will I be going back to school anytime soon? Are the pre-pandemic days round the corner? We never know when something is going to end and something else begin, but in the meanwhile online classes have been really fun. It’s been a great experience and something that I believe can come in handy in the future; although I still prefer normal school. Online school has improved me as a person, made me mature and independent in terms of looking after myself and managing my studies without help from family members.
The author is 12 years old and has written this article to tell us not only about his life during online school but about what happens during a typical day in the life of a middle schooler now. He can be reached at aagamj190@gmail.com.