Profile: YouJin Kim - student
Pandemic Reflective Essay
Because of Covid-19, our lives are different than usual. Students take online courses and we are not free to go outside. Especially, a mask is uncomfortable for me because I never wear it ordinarily. I hope the world will be free of Covid-19 as soon as possible. In this essay I show my role as a student, as a daughter and as a friend.
[a student at University of Utah]
As the Covid-19 problem deepen, the biggest change in my life is that I don't go to school. It seemed confusing to both students and professors when online classes first began. I took the 2020 winter semester class which was also online, so I had less trouble. About two months after starting the online class, professors use the various functions of Zoom and the communication between students and professors is smooth during class. Nevertheless, I feel that online classes are still limited. However, I know the professors are trying to respond to mail and give feedback quickly, so I am grateful to them.
I get up 10 minutes before class starts and prepare for class. There are many temptations such as a bed around because I take classes at home. Frankly speaking, it is very difficult to repel all temptations. But I think the weaker the control is, the more important the will is. So, I decided to take this emergency as my starting point for change.
I prefer face-to-face classes, but I found the advantages of online classes. It is that recordings videos are uploaded. I have trouble understanding all the contents of the class, so it is very helpful for me to watch the same section over and over again. But I am very sad that there is no direct interaction. I met professors, students, and advisors at classes and events last semester, and I felt a sense of belonging and familiarity. I'm looking forward to next semester's events because I haven't been able to participate in them this semester. I believe that after the end of this pandemic everyone will be more strongly united.
[a daughter]
I had never lived apart from my parents until I entered school. I started living in a dormitory since last fall when I entered school, and since then I can't spend time with my family on weekdays. I'm at home now because classes have been converted to an online this semester. My parents are very happy that I am at home. I spend a lot of time at home doing assignments and they told me they didn't know I was doing so much work.
We are reluctant to go out in this pandemic situation because we always say that if one of our family members is unfortunately infected with Covid-19, the rest of family members will be infected. So, these days, I try various ways to give happiness to my family. We do face mask (cosmetic), eat delicious dessert, and watch movie together. These seem like activities that are not great, but we feel great happiness in them.
[a friend]
I try not to meet anyone these days. When my friends ask me to meet, I usually make excuses that I have a lot of assignments. At first, I told them I was scared of Covid-19, but they didn't seem to care about it at all. They told me they wouldn't be infected with it anyway. I couldn't understand them, and I was reluctant to go outside, but I was forced to go out a few times. It was not that fun to hang out with my friends, and I just wanted to go home. After Covid-19 calms down, I want to hang out with my friends and take pictures freely without a mask.
I feel very happy and fortunate that I, my family, friends, and professors stay healthy. I donated, although it is a small amount of money, because I can't directly influence patients like doctors and nurses. I hope it will be used where it is necessary. I also want the emergency situation to cause as little damage to people and society as possible. I'm very glad that the situation in Korea seems to be improving now. I hope this situation ends with each other being more careful.