The unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 has caused me and many other students to be quarantined at home, with an online learning academic path instead of in-person. What’s interesting, however, is how the pandemic has made me look at my skill set differently. As a junior, I am extremely occupied and focused on preparing for colleges and completing all the work and grades that come along with junior year. With the pandemic, however, it seems that everything has slowed down, as we can really work at our own pace. It allows for so much more breathing room and lets me focus more on my passions and interests.
As a coder and tech-person, both the quarantine and time off from school allows me to have much more freedom to embark on new projects. For me, I am always looking to contribute and potentially help the people around me. For example, recently, I was able to attend an online hackathon. In that hackathon, I was able to dedicate hours of my time with my friends on multiple days to work on a collaborative project that we were able to submit. We were able to create a visual simulation novel educating users about COVID-19 and mental disorders. But without this pandemic, I would have never had the free time to do these types of projects, as I would have so much more to study for and do.
However, with more freedom to work at your own pace, come drawbacks. Now that there is more freedom every day, it is harder for me to self-discipline and to stay focused all the time. Sometimes, it is so tempting to push assignments and projects later just to watch some YouTube videos or play some games. It might bolster a procrastinator mindset. With no teachers monitoring you in school, productivity really depends on how well you self-control yourself. The quarantine, to me, can either be an opportunity to do amazing things or a shift to laziness.
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