People experience all kinds of fatigue from the strict restrictions imposed on them, no thanks to the pandemic. Thankfully, with vaccines being administered to many in the communities and the implementation of quarantine levels continued, cases of Covid-19 have declined over the past few weeks. This has prompted government officials to relax some restrictions to get the economy up on its feet and yes, ease people’s fatigue of being confined at home and limiting classes, work and many forms of socialization in virtual platforms.
Going back to face-to-face (F2F) classes was among those in the plan, with some academic programs like those in healthcare already implementing it. SunStar LIVE! asks these student readers what would be their biggest adjustment to make if ever partial F2F classes are allowed and if they are ready for it.
“With online learning or classes, I was able to manage my time well and I don’t have to worry about appearing tired in front of others. If ever face-to-face classes return, the change and adjustment will be challenging. Probably, the biggest adjustment that I would have to make is getting up earlier and getting enough sleep, because I currently sleep quite late but have the luxury of sleeping whenever I want when I feel tired.” - Gio Valdez, interior design student
“Some things have become slightly convenient this pandemic especially on how we physically present ourselves to others. Usually in online classes, we just wear a presentable shirt on-cam, paired with any comfortable lower apparel. However, if the teacher does not mandate to turn on our cameras, we could just be at any comfortable place, wearing any comfortable clothing in our homes. This set-up is completely different when we’ll finally have in-person classes because we’d now have to wear the prescribed uniforms and proper civilian attire which we have to prepare beforehand.” - Andre Salazar, accountancy student/student leader
“For an introvert like me, it would be to rediscover in-person socialization with different people again. It’s like going out of your shell and realizing that you must develop relationships to manage your circle in a university. Knowing the fact that a good social life in college can boost your mental health, I would probably do my utmost in adjusting to physical interactions.” - Abigael Joyce Bautista, 18, Manila-based architecture student
“I feel like we have so much ‘extra time’ during the pandemic. I believe the biggest adjustment that I would make in shifting toward in-person classes is proper time allocation before, in-between, and after classes and school events. This would not only improve performance as a student but also avoid getting into crowds and prolonged exposures in public. Being vaccinated and wearing face masks are important, but we need to consider other aspects that could also greatly contribute to our safety by being aware of and respecting each other’s time as we go back to a mobile community.” - Fia Yongco, 20, incoming accountancy student
“It would be managing my time and adjusting to my sleeping pattern. I normally sleep late and wake up at least five to 10 minutes before my first morning online class. Because of being practically at home and in my room most of the time, I have more time to do all my projects and assignments. In face-to-face classes, I need to wake up early every day as I have to drive a far distance, having to deal with traffic on the way home which results in having less time on my schoolwork. I must learn to manage my time more to balance my work and sleep cycle.” - Ralf Michael Tan, 19, architecture student