While being under a Movement Control Order was undoubtedly a challenge, our students have made the best of it. For our international students, the situation was even harder, as they were isolated away from their families and home countries.
But they pulled through, and we wanted to find out how they did it. We spoke to Indian MBBS students Akash Sekar and Garima Ghoshal, Biotechnology student Fathima Zahraa Ozeer from Sri Lanka and Biomedical Sciences student Aishath Thahuseen Waheed from the Maldives – and here’s what they told us.
Q: What was your initial reaction to the news of the MCO? What were you most worried about?
Fathima Zahraa: Utter silence. Not just from me, but from all of us who were in our apartment that early morning cramming for the final exams later that same day.
Aishath Thahuseen: At first I was happy that my exams got cancelled. However, after going through the news, I realised that I’m in a worldwide pandemic. That’s as serious as it can get. I was worried about contracting the disease and being away from my family made it hard.
Q: What was the biggest challenge during the initial stages and how did you adapt?
Akash Sekar: Initially the biggest challenge was the basic needs like food, transportation, face-to-face interaction. Being alone without anyone around to talk was extremely difficult. After the first two weeks, I got used to it and focused on the positive. I passed my time with home exercise, studying, meditating and learning to cook.
Garima Ghoshal: Maintaining a schedule with the workload of being in medical school. Also, keeping my mental health in check. It became very important for me to make sure I don’t spiral down in distress or frustration.
I began catching up with a lot of my old friends and I started writing again – whatever I felt like. Reviews, poetry, thoughts. Just mapping out my thoughts. I listened to a lot of podcasts on psychology, human behaviour and spirituality. I tried to improve my mental health, taking small steps at a time.
During the MCO, were there any achievements you notched up that made you proud?
FZ: I had joined the free online Coursera courses that were being offered due to the CoVID outbreak. Now I can proudly say I graduated from the University of Edinburgh in an ‘Animal Welfare and Behaviour’ course! But my biggest achievement would be finally making my very first papier-mache sculpture! I’ve always been enticed by such structures my whole life and decided to make a paper mache Baymax from ‘Big Hero 6’ as a gift for my friend’s birthday.
My 25th birthday happened to occur during the MCO period as well, but that didn’t stop my friends from setting up a surprise birthday meet through Google Meet while sending over flowers, gifts and food to our doorstep! As a special treat, we also managed to turn our house into a makeshift photoshoot studio to commemorate the occasion.
AS: In a word, cooking! I focused on remaining calm and learning different things that are important for life. We all need food, so that’s one of the most important skills. It’s really great to know I have the skills to produce dishes like rasam, sambar and biryani by myself.
How did the University’s services help you through the MCO?
GG: QIU did an excellent job of managing the panicky situation. I don’t think I would have been so much at peace and assurance if it weren’t for the administration, the Student Affairs Division (STAD) and my Faculty’s Dean constantly checking up on our well-being. They assured and reassured us, making sure we know that we can always reach out to them.
During the peak MCO weeks, the STAD even risked going out just so that the students don’t have to go out unnecessarily; to the extent of providing us meals, keeping in mind our well being. I will never be able to thank them enough for all that they have done. I feel so grateful to be a part of an organisation that did not make me feel as if I was an outsider.
FZ: In addition to the services, the Creative and Digital Media department helped a lot by sharing our video content online. We spoke on how we were coping during the MCO and it was helpful because we were able to connect, communicate and express ourselves.
What would be your overall takeaway from this experience?
FZ: The comfort and freedom to do what you need to do when you need to, without wasting too much time on travelling to university for studies while still getting the same quality education a room away from your bed, is more attractive than I expected. But I do miss my friends and I definitely wish to be able to be back on campus soon.
GG: My takeaway includes a lot of gratefulness over my privilege. There are people who are struggling to find a safe haven and I straight up transitioned into MCO without any obstacles. I am so grateful for my amazing batchmates, for always asking if I was okay or if I needed something; made me feel very comforted
AT: Firstly, my heart goes out to all the brave front liners and everyone who suffered losses during this tragic pandemic. It wasn’t easy, but I’m really proud that everyone, my friends and family members, all followed the rules and implemented by the government.
