Student life, often considered as the most integral segment of one’s life, has undergone unprecedented transformations over the past few turbulent months. With physical classes no longer being viable due to the contagious nature of the Coronavirus, education institutes around the world have resorted to conducting classes on a virtual platform. Thus, what once was considered unfathomable is currently being dubbed as “the new normal”.

To begin with, the stark contrast between offline and online classes must be taken into account. Long gone are the days where students would spend countless hours at the cafeteria- conversating and lamenting over bits and pieces their daily lives. The concept of having those little yet memorable moments that were customary in physical classes have all but dwindled by the introduction of online classes where interactions are minimal, causing classes to appear rather monotonous. Furthermore, student of all ages is subject to being forced to sit in front of a screen for an incessant amount of time, not only giving a rise to severe instances of eye strain but also posing threats to the student’s physical well-being.

In fact, numerous studies have shown how staring vacuously at a screen for a prolonged period of time leads to a loss of desire to sleep, instilling poor sleep schedules which causes students to stay up late while also reducing their productivity. Needless to say, the doors of procrastination have never been more open. As students are confined to the four walls of their room, social interactions have faded away; something almost every student, particularly teenagers, yearn for. We are instead faced with a social dilemma where hugs and handshakes have been traded for awkward nods, constant social gatherings sound like a myth and the ones that do take place only stem from the necessity of human interaction.

However, to assume that online classes have done the current generation nothing but harm would be a false allegation. Despite being unimaginably strenuous on the well-being of the students, e-learning has a plethora of affirmative components which makes it an exciting prospect for the future of education. Firstly, online learning is proven to be more effective as students are shown to successfully retain more material as they have the liberty to re-read, accelerate or skip through concepts as they suit, allowing them to learn at their own pace. To add, with travel time nearly non existent and classes just a tap away, students appear to find more time on their hands to indulge in other home activities. Moreover, academic inquiries can be easily be addressed by asking for assistance simply through a text or an email, making the lives of us students possibly just a tad bit easier.

In spite of all the concerns this pandemic has bought upon us, the most pressing one seems to be regarding the uncertainty surrounding exams. With students sitting for mocks and test out of the usual assessment environments and invigilators only able to observe through an inanimate screen, we find ourselves questioning whether online tests serve as a reliable metric for the grades of the students. Therefore in order to alleviate this predicament, many schools all around the world are contemplating about the prospect of organizing physical exams, of course taking into account the stern safety regulation and standard imposed by the country’s government.

However, one aspect of e-learning that often goes by unnoticed is how it helped foster a change in the stagnant life of the young talents. It must be acknowledged that without aid provided via the online classes, countless students would have lost precious amount of time swimming in pandemic limbo- a factor which is imperative to be used with caution as the dreams and aspirations of their future rest upon it. Therefore, to conclude, the online classes mandated by the school has forced upon a complete lifestyle change for students. However, we do continue to adapt to new standards of a proposed new normal. As at the end of the day, the world may stand still, but time waits for no entity- therefore the only thing left to do is adapt and conquer. Here’s to hoping that we make it out of this pandemic alive and hopefully take those A*s along with us!

Written By: Shaeera Marium Kabir

Edited By: Gazi Sharita Fairooz