Hi! My name is Dearbhla, and I’m a second-year social science student studying sociology and social justice major here at University College Dublin. Although this quarantine situation is a little different to my normal routine in UCD, I still have plenty of lectures, tutorials and assignments to keep me busy! So here’s a little insight into how a quarantined social science student is spending this time…
Morning routine
Usually I’ll wake up about half an hour before my lectures to have breakfast before joining my virtual lectures. One positive aspect of the quarantine situation is not commuting to college every morning so I can have a bit of a lie on! All of my lectures are now online in a virtual classroom, they very similar to the ones I have in UCD, yet very different at the same time! Although I can see my lecturer and the slides, I cannot see or hear any of my classmates. Although this was a little odd at first, I’ve gotten used to it and am enjoying the lectures as much as I usually do in UCD. All of my lectures and tutorials follow the same timetable as they did in UCD so it makes it easier to organise my week.
Tutorials
I also have a number of tutorials each week. Tutorials are used to discuss material from the lecture in greater detail and provide an opportunity to ask tutors questions about the content or assignments. These are usually smaller groups of students and provide an invaluable experience of teamwork, communication and discussion. I really enjoy tutorials as I enjoy learning more and discussing the lectures. Online tutorials are very similar to the tutorials we have in UCD and still allow for enjoyable group discussions.
Exercise
Once my lectures are finished I’ll have a quick lunch and head out for a short walk with my dog. I find that walking gives me a chance to get out of the house and get some fresh air. I’ll usually listen to some music or a TED talk as I find this motivating and relaxing.
Once I return home, I get started on assignments. As many of my exams have been changed to assessments due to the current situation, I have several to do. I devised a timetable at the start of the week which everything that I want to accomplish and tick it off as I go along. I find that this is a great way to stay organised and motivated when I can see how much I have accomplished in a day. Once I have completed my tasks for the day, I prepare for my lectures for the following day. Most lectures have readings, which should be done prior to the lecture so the material is easier to understand during the lecture. I like to make keynotes from these readings as it makes the lectures easier to understand and is invaluable during exam time!
Staying In Touch
Once I have finished these readings, I’ll have dinner and then spend the evening either chatting with friends over FaceTime or catching up on some Netflix! I have also attended many online UCD events. Many of the UCD societies along with the Students Union have had their usual array of fun social events, which are now online! So there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved in UCD life!
This time is filled with fear and uncertainty, however, there are many steps that we can all take to both stay safe, productive and still enjoy the college experience, even if it is a little different to our normal routine.
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Stay safe everyone 🙂
