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When my university offered students the option to take their spring 2020 classes as pass-no pass, I believed it was doing the right thing. Alleviating the pressure of grades during a wobbly second half of the semester seemed like it would free students to focus on actual learning and less on performance.

In my experience, however, the option largely did the opposite: many of my students agonised over whether to take advantage of this option, not out of concerns of whether they would learn more deeply, but how a P grade would look to everyone else.

The Covid-19 pandemic has altered everyone’s lives significantly and students certainly weren’t exempt. We were unable to return to university and sit our examinations as normal and so many universities resorted to online exams.

In our current global situation, exams might not seem a priority. But, for students, exam stress combined with pandemic stress makes for a pretty hectic time. Here’s my experience with online exams and how they actually ended up alleviating my stress levels.

What were my online exams? 

According to a recent survey, more than one in five students applying for undergraduate places are considering deferring for a year if their university will not be operating as it usually would. I think it’s pretty obvious that the “new normal” will extend to universities but by how much and for how long is open for debate. 

During the normal hustle and bustle of the Harvard semester, I’d find myself invited to the occasional fraternity party or for a coffee date at the adorable Blue Bottle cafe nestled between Plympton and Mount Auburn Street. A lingering sense of guilt and pressure to return to the libraries or turn up to office hours with a professor rather than relaxing by the Charles River eating strawberries was ever present. Every now and then, I’d reluctantly ask myself, “Didn’t I come here to learn?”

“When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade”, so goes the proverbial phrase meant to encourage us to make do with the hand that we are dealt by life. During a recent Netflix binge, I heard a quirky modification that I prefer: “When life gives you lemons, don’t just stop at lemonade, bake an entire lemon meringue pie too!”. I like this second version much better because it’s not just about making do, but it’s about going above and beyond to make the best out of a situation. 

The calm before the storm

Studying and working as a student in Jamaica can be described as dynamic, exciting and challenging. There are several intricacies associated with this dual role that you need to be aware of in order to successfully navigate it.

University closures across the world have left the Class of 2020 unable to celebrate their important milestones like graduation and prom in the traditional manner. While it is disappointing to cancel these in-person gatherings with friends and family, here are some ways to celebrate in a fun and meaningful way at home with the people you live with.

On 6 January 2020, I started the first day of my eight-month APPEL-accredited pharmacy placement working in a community pharmacy in Cork City in the Republic of Ireland.

This moment had been building up for the past four years, so I was both excited and nervous for the year ahead. Now I am halfway into my placement, and I still find it hard to believe how much things have changed since I started.

I am now back home in Serbia. I decided to return after the Serbian president declared a state of emergency here.