How the pandemic couldn't stop my learning: A personal account

 

It has been around seven months since educational institutions in India; Schools and colleges were ordered to shut until further notice. As a student, I very much understand how ineffective online education can be. Trying to adjust to the new normal, I would say was no piece of cake. 

At that time I was faced with two options. I could either blame the pandemic and the situation for the large hole that was about be dug in my education or make the most of this time to hone my existing skills and learn new ones, shaping me as a professional. 

I chose the latter option. I started out as a fresher into the job market with no experience or understanding of how the professional world works. Let me tell you, as a college student with no prior experience, landing an internship opportunity was very often disappointing. Nowadays, companies prefer hiring candidates with prior work experience or skills. 

HOW IT ALL STARTED?

While my university was still finding a way to educate us more effectively, I started out on my path of online education. I came across various websites/online platforms that provided online training to develop certain skills.

 I started my process of 'lockdown learning' by enrolling myself for a creative writing class. It is through this class I discovered my love for writing. I signed up on a blogging website and thus began my trail of articles. From my first ever article, "Love is a wave" to "Johanna Braun" a short story authored by myself, I bettered every day. 

A month later, I finally landed myself an internship as a content writer. I kept applying into new companies and landed into some. Eventually, I decided to shift my work profile from a content writer to a much in demand profession, digital marketing and social media. For this purpose, I made a travel blog on Instagram and learnt digital marketing online. 

I practised content creation and digital marketing on my Instagram and Blogspot blogs before I actually got into a digital marketing firm. My point here, I never spent a day sitting idle in these few months. I learnt, I worked and I practised for my long term goals. 

HOW IT HELPS?

I am an ambitious woman with dreams. I plan how I want my future to be in my head every single day. I am ready to give what it takes but how did I reach this level of ambition? The answer is, in fact, one word- will. 

Work taught me the importance of time and skills. It made me realise how important it is to keep building your resume to land into a job during this time of increased unemployment and economic instability and how important it is to achieve great things while you are still in college. 

While most people my age were busy bingeing on web series and movies, I worked and I learnt. Even though I worked from home, I noticed a huge difference in the ways I used to do things earlier and now. Working with different people with different skills, I imbibed into myself, a part of them. 

My knowledge of things has expanded exponentially, my level of self-confidence knows no bounds and my perspective of viewing things changed.  I was not a communicator but the environment that I created around myself challenged me to overcome this. 

Internships and online training go a long way when it comes to extracurricular learning and developing practical experience. One could still utilise this time to work towards their goals and stand apart from the crowd. Don't allow COVID-19 to stop you from making the most out of your life.