If someone had asked me only a few months ago about my 2020 plans, I would have recounted numerous goals and dreams. I remember clearly gathering around the Christmas tree, celebrating the New Year with my friends and making wishes regarding some serious life decisions. One of my friends was dreaming of getting married to the love of his life this summer. Another was planning to travel to see her family during the summer vacation.
As for me, I was searching for available master’s degree opportunities in other countries. I desperately wanted to be an overseas student for specific reasons. On the one hand, I wanted to get some new cultural experiences by learning another language and meeting other people. Secondly, I was eager to study a postgraduate degree that is not available in my home country. None of us had wished for good health or staying alive because we used to take those blessings for granted. Little did we know that the whole world would be overrun by the pandemic.
So now what? Should we just give up on every dream? Should we just accept the COVID-19 situation? Is it okay to waste a year and postpone your plans indefinitely?
We tend to worry too much about our “Plan A.” We need to think larger than a single plan. As we see, life is unpredictable. You need to make a Plan A and account for the unpredictable nature of life until you reach a Plan Z.
During this quarantine, all we have is time. Invest this time you’ve been given. Study the available alternatives for your failed plans. Bear in mind, we live in the age of the internet. There are plenty of opportunities in which we don’t have to be in physical contact with each other.
As I give deeper consideration to the realities of this pandemic, I’ve thought about online degrees as a practical alternative for my study plans. Many schools and universities have created new approaches for their teaching methods. The reality is that online education is the only suitable option right now.
Social media platforms and digital video conferencing make online learning more flexible for students and teachers alike. For example, many teachers use Zoom to deliver lectures. Moreover, some colleges have made Facebook groups where students can communicate and share their knowledge with each other. Online schooling allows for effective learning and continues to create and maintain social relationships at the same time. Homework assignments and even final exams are now being delivered online by many educational institutions worldwide.
Clearly, COVID-19 has impacted my education and career plans. But I’ve chosen to think positively about it. With online learning, maybe my problems aren’t as complicated as I first thought. I must remain patient and confident. If staying at home is the price of our safety, then we should stay at home. When it comes to someone’s health or life, the lockdown is worth it, even if it stalls our dreams.
