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Tambudzai Kunaka: Stellenbosch University
These are scary and uncertain times and it is quite difficult not being at home with family.
This pandemic has put everything on hold. We can’t do simple things like visiting friends or going to the shops randomly, even window shopping.
All these events we had planned for the first semester with the university had to be cancelled. This pandemic has taken my freedom… I am staying alone at the moment and it is not easy being alone 24/7 without going out to get some fresh air.
Thanks to friends and family, who check on me all the time to see if I am all right.
Studying at home is very difficult to a point where sometimes if you don’t get work done you get anxious. It is mentally unsettling because at home there are numerous distractions.
Trying to overcome these and keep focused can be quite challenging. If I had the freedom I could go to the library.
Being a final year student also scares me about how long the coronavirus will last and whether it will affect my graduation or not.
My parents are in Zimbabwe where there is also a lockdown. They are out of work because of the virus and yet here I am in need of money to cover fees and accommodation.
At the end of the month I will need to restock my groceries.
Questions that vex me are; how are they going to find and send money for my upkeep with the police all over and turning back people and telling them to stay at home?
As much as this is difficult not just for me but for everyone, I believe this too shall come to pass. We must keep hope alive.
Natalia Chikweshe: University of Pretoria
As someone pursuing Urban and Regional Planning studies, social issues associated with pandemics and their impacts on individuals and society as a whole rank among some of the issues we focus on.
Considering similar historical problems we faced, it frightens me to realise that we have to go through such times again.
The Covid-19 pandemic has not just affected my ability to move from one place to another, it has affected my academics greatly.
Before the national lockdown was announced, many of my semester tests had already been postponed.
This meant I was already behind with my studies before the official lockdown. This has put me under considerable pressure and has been the cause of numerous sleepless nights.
My parents had an emergency to attend to in Zimbabwe before the official lockdown was announced.
I was, therefore, required to look after my siblings. At the time, the full impact of the pandemic had not dawned on me.
As it is, it has not been easy for me to look after my brothers while managing my studies at the same time. Lack of internet access has had a negative impact on my studies as I have limited access to academic resources.
I have a brother, who is in his final year of matric and it breaks my heart to see him resorting to WhatsApp as a learning platform.
In such conditions, we cannot make the assumption that every child has access to WhatsApp and has data to access academic resources.
I have to find ways in which to assist him and this has put me under pressure.
While the government has allowed individuals to go out in order to buy essential provisions, police officers still question you if they find you on the streets.
Of course, it is for our own good but to some extent it makes one uncomfortable and scared.
As much as the pandemic has negatively impacted our lives and society, there are some things I have come to appreciate. It is that every single moment we spend with family and friends is precious. It has also helped me to bond with my brothers.
May God give wisdom to our scientists and doctors so that they can find a solution to save the human race from the pandemic.
Wiseman Chivava: Stellenbosch University
I am not worried and I am not too stressed about it.
I think that at the moment things are not that bad. I can’t say we are doomed. We are fine. So far things have not been busy. It has been a lot laid back.
There isn’t much work as I was doing during the semester. However, I am slowly starting to pick up speed and getting back on my feet.
Online classes were expected to start before end of April 2020 and my degree programme should be on track because the university has pushed some examinations forward.
They did what they could in order to manage the situation. I believe whatever modules we are working on for this semester will not be completed in time.
While this is not the best scenario one would have hoped for, I believe it is not that bad.
I miss working to a timetable, being disciplined and focused. But then, these are things one can re-learn and adjust to the rhythm. It boils down to adjusting to the prevailing circumstances.
Blessed Chitamba: University of Cape Town
The coronavirus has brought with it some negatives and positives.
I would locate the anxiety of not knowing how my final school year is going to end at the top of the negatives. I do not want to spend another school year here and so the last thing I want is a disruption to my studies.
I have had enough of them during the tenure of my degree programme, for example Fees Must Fall etc.
The other factor is that my graduation, which I had been waiting for the past four years has been cancelled! That has been a major disappointment.
What was particularly disappointing was that last year I did not get an opportunity to return home to Zimbabwe to see my family.
The expectation was that I would see them when they came for my graduation in March. They were going to get to see the University of Cape Town for the first time.
All that planning was scuttled. It is frustrating, as an international student, because my parents have invested a lot these years in supporting my education here and so this day would have meant a lot more for them too.
In terms of lifestyle, it is quite hard to make the most of one’s day when you have nothing to force you out of bed such as a class or a meeting.
So it becomes a very interesting game of discipline.
The positive to emerge from the current lockdown must be having spare time to conduct projects one had put on hold, as well as revisiting other self-development activities and focusing on other things I have always wanted to do.
Anyway, all hope is not lost.
Online Reporter