Yes, it has indeed been a ... unique start to 2020.
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It is fair to say it has not been the ideal start to 2020 (I'm aware that is the understatement of the year, but I don't think you can print my usual choice verbs).
The first term had already been heavily impacted by the horrific events of the Christmas holidays, as well as the academic impacts in having to change assessment schedules for the term.
It also put many students in a negative headspace before the schooling year had begun as they had not been able to rest, relax and recharge, as they would usually do over the holidays.
We were fortunate to have half a term of "normal" schooling.
Then the recent COVID-19 pandemic shattered the normality that college staff, the year 12 leadership team and the student body had been desperately trying to return to.
The move to online classes has been a large and unnatural change for students and staff.
The school has put a great amount of effort into making the transition as seamless as possible.
This includes completely rewriting the lesson timetable to create a less frantic and more manageable workload for students and staff.
With the world situation seemingly changing every hour, it is hard to say how the classes will run throughout the term.
To my understanding, the college is eager for students to return to classrooms as soon as possible and are working on appropriate strategies to make sure this happens as safely and efficiently as it can possibly be.
Depending on your view, there are a number of positives and negatives to making the shift to an online learning environment.
Personally, I have had experience of the self-paced/ online learning as I have attended Canberra Institute of Technology at Fyshwick for the last year completing a certificate III in automotive mechanics.
The ability of your peers to, not only address the topics, but link them to things that you can understand is an amazingly effective learning mechanism; far greater than anything you can read out of a text book.
A majority of that course is online so despite my loathing of that method, it has been a blessing in disguise.
The negative effects of this learning can run much deeper than most realise.
Obviously being at home there are a significantly larger number of distractions, from pets to parents to movies.
For students such as myself, who have the attention span of a goldfish at the best of times, it has made staying on task rather difficult.
Not having a teacher in front of you helping you through the work is also a major disadvantage.
Of course we have the ability to email, Skype or Zoom the staff, however, it just isn't the same as physically having them in front of you.
Similarly not having your peers with you has made a surprising amount of difference.
Having others around you, as well as providing social interaction, provide insight into topics that you yourself may not understand as well.
The ability of your peers to, not only address the topics, but link them to things that you can understand is an amazingly effective learning mechanism; far greater than anything you can read out of a textbook.
All of which can lead to a severe lack of motivation in students, and once lost, it is very difficult to get it back.
It's not all doom and gloom. I am now able to sleep in until 8.59am before getting out of bed and walking the 10 meters to my computer.
Of course, it's not all doom and gloom.
For example, I am now able to sleep in until 8.59am before getting out of bed and walking the 10 meters to my computer and completing work with a coffee in my pajamas, not having to make myself presentable - something I definitely could not get away with at school.
The COVID-19 crisis has dramatically changed how we live on a day-to-day basis.
Although cliché: you don't know what you have until it's gone.
Usually my favorite weekend/evening activity was laying in bed watching Foxtel or YouTube until it was time for lunch.
Having simple luxuries taken away is a huge shock to the system: of being able to go over to your friend's house whenever you're bored, or going to the shops and picking up some bog roll.
It provides the unique challenge of trying to find some semblance of normality in day to day life.
When I was looking at the prospect of going into year 12, especially as St Peter's College captain, there was nothing I could have done to prepare myself for what this year has delivered.
The physical and mental demands have been far greater than I could have ever imagined.
I am sure I am not alone in that thought.
I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that despite the challenges, I am confident we will find a way to return to normality soon.
Luke Ryan, St Peter's Anglican College year 12 student, Broulee
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