We are now in a lockdown again. Learning from home, logging into zoom, not seeing your friends in person has become our normality. Who knows when it will end? Today, I interviewed a ninth-grader, who has preferred to remain anonymous and has been kind enough to answer a few questions regarding this lockdown and her feelings about it. Remember, we are all struggling through this, and listening to other people’s stories might help us overcome our obstacles! Below is the interview. I hope you enjoy it!
1. Tell us a brief introduction about yourself. What are your hobbies? What are your passions?
Hello, I’m a student at ASM and I’m 14 years old. My hobbies are playing many sports, especially skiing, golf, and before the lockdown I also did track and field. Since we’re in lockdown, I now occasionally work out. I also started to draw, and I used to play the piano, but I stopped since I did not have enough time.
2. Did the last quarantine impact your social life in any way?
The last lockdown helped me figure out who my true friends are, as I lost many “fake” friends since we didn’t talk much. However, some true friends helped me throughout the lockdown, especially with my mental health. These friends I am now really grateful to have.
3. Did the last quarantine impact your academic life in any way?
During the first lockdown, my grades worsened, as I wasn’t paying attention in class (I got frequently distracted by other components of my room). However, I still managed to participate, by downloading an app that helps you focus. The way the game works is that if you go to another app, it kills a tree, and the goal of the game is to build as many as trees possible. This helped me, also throughout the second lockdown.
4. Overall, do you think the last lockdown changed you?
The last lockdown changed me, for sure. It helped me realize all I have to be grateful for and to take nothing for granted. It also helped me realize that school is an important component of our lives, even though we frequently say that we ‘hate it’ and that we prefer to stay home: at the end, I feel that the last quarantine helped me realize that without school, we lose many friendships and miss out on important moments of our adolescence.
5. Do you feel any similarities between this lockdown and the previous one?
In the previous lockdown, I tried to be as productive as possible and tried to focus on my fitness (doing workouts, etc). On this lockdown, however, I have been focusing more on school and having a productive day overall. I also try to go outside more, since in this lockdown we can at least step outside the house and go for a walk daily.
6. Emotionally, how are you feeling these days?
Well, it depends on the day of course, but generally, my mental health issues make me cry, and revolve around family problems or grades, since I know that right now I do not have fake friends, and do not have many friends-related issues. However, I stress a lot on my grades, as I know that they are important for my future (as one of my dear friends has frequently told me). Overall, I would rate my emotions a 7/10, 10 being extremely happy and 1 being very sad.
7. Do you feel that this lockdown is aiding your studying, or giving you less motivation?
I feel like this lockdown has both aiding my studying and giving me less motivation. This is because online learning allows me to study more and catch up on all my work. On the other hand, during class time I have less motivation, as sitting all day in front of the computer, never truly, physically interacting with my friends is hard. Generally, I prefer going to school physically.
8. Overall, what do you think about online learning?
I know there are various advantages to online learning, such as sleeping one more hour each day, which is amazing, but there are many other issues with it. You cannot make true memories with your friends: I feel like school is a place where you can do that and make true friendships. Also, classes can become a bit boring. I believe that it has been especially hard for new students to adjust, and for that, I feel truly sorry for all of them.
9. What advice would you give to people struggling in this situation?
To the people that are struggling, I would tell them to wake up at least one hour before they start school so that they can relax in bed and make a proper breakfast. Also, change clothes, as I find this helps me wake up: then, don’t stay in bed. That will just make you feel more tired and less motivated! Remember that there are people all over the world that are taking their last breaths. Make sure to feel grateful for what you have, even though it might seem little at the moment.
Thank you very much for your advice Sofia!
Have a great day everyone,
Stella Chiappetta <33
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