If you would have told me that what I originally saw as a two-week break from school would actually be the start of a long-standing global pandemic, with more and more social and psychological impacts revealing themselves every day, I probably would have laughed. Nobody could have anticipated the repercussions of this crisis – we were all too focused on trying to maintain a slight optimism, despite the reality of it all. At the time, we were not ready to think of what may potentially come to fruition in the long-term because of the pandemic.
Five years have passed since the first lockdown was announced, and although for the most part a sense of normality and structure has become re-embedded in our social lives and work routines, there remains a chilling legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are of course those who currently suffer long-term respiratory issues, either caused by or worsened because of the virus itself. There are also those who, like me, are craving for some sense of real direction. For example, the lack of suitable knowledge for the jump into adulthood, and the increasing divisions and limitations for this generation to flow into the working world seamlessly. This has left me and many of my peers in the same age group, feeling ostracised, or uneasy with the conversation of future prospects.
With university choices and vital career decisions to make, it felt safer to lower the ceiling.
It’s now five years since the first lockdown began, and yes, most aspects of our lives are moving forwards and are brightening. But internally there are challenges which we can’t see by just looking at someone, and everyone should be able to access the support they need. Although there are universal challenges we can communicate about together, at the same time, there will be those individual experiences which we have to sit with - because the pandemic has hit us all in such different ways.
I am currently in part-time employment, after taking a couple of years out of education to seek further experiences, before making the path to university. It was not what I had originally planned to do, but I have appreciated the wait as an opportunity to develop my confidence and further explore options. I have been able to take time to think about what exactly it is that I would like to study, before tunnelling down a path that I may perhaps regret in a couple of years’ time. My interest in mathematics has increased significantly and my perspectives on the subject have really changed. I was originally planning to study economics two years ago, but I rejected my place to study because there was something that didn’t feel quite right.
I can now say that I am glad I made that choice!