The Lull Before The Storm
When the COVID-19 cases were increasing, I didn’t expect it to affect my country as much as it did. My friends and I weren’t really worried about it when Chinese New Year came around. However, our ignorance didn’t prepare us for the sudden realization that Friday, March 16th was the last time we would have classes at school. Most of my classmates and friends were moving away for Senior High School (Grade 11 and 12), so we were all disappointed that we wouldn’t be able to experience our last year of junior high school to its fullest. We had to take it all in at once. It wasn’t a comfortable situation for us, and I’m 100% sure it wasn’t for you guys either.
The Storm
Fear swept our towns and cities. All classes were cancelled, leaving us to adapt to online classes for the last quarter of our school year, which wasn’t an easy task. Not all of us owned laptops or had WiFi plans that would be able to handle the load of submissions and calls. My batchmates and I were disappointed at how things were being handled. Additionally, the anxiety of not knowing whether we’ll be having a moving-up ceremony was eating us up every day. Most of us were very vocal about it: about how we didn’t get the recognition we deserved for the four years of hard work, sweat, and tears.
The Stillness After The Storm
The Community Lockdown gave me so much free time that I was running out of things to do. However, I was able to look back to what I was like during the past four years—how I acted and how I handled things. I asked myself a lot of questions, and the more that I recalled, the more I realized how I was a stranger to who I perceived myself to be. My attitude and habits completely changed, and I somehow lost my identity.
I did a lot of reflecting and came back to God, the only One that could give me peace. I realized that things could get taken away in the blink of an eye. The most important thing is to never get attached to anything in this world because everything here changes. Our emotions, dreams, and situations are not going to be the same as it was before. The only thing we can do is overcome and learn.
Sail Again
This pandemic has brought a lot of uncertainties in our lives. A lot of plans were shattered and displaced, but instead of sulking and worrying, decide for yourself that you’re not going to lose hope. If your original plans didn’t push through, it means that He has better things in store for you. There are better things in store for you.
In a way, I see this pandemic as a trial of our faith, patience, and hope, but it’s also something that could be a significant factor as to how you’re going to live your life in the next few years. It’s important to remember that all of us aren’t given trials we can’t overcome.
All of us are transitioning into the next storm in our voyage through life, proceeding through our academic pursuits. It’s not going to be easy, but we will always have the grace to overcome whatever we may encounter. It won’t be entirely the same for all of us, the only advice I could give is to use your time wisely and don’t be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone. The IB will push you past your limits and will definitely be a challenge. Don’t deny yourself the opportunity to improve and complete the IB with flying colours!
I would like to share this verse that helped me through this season in my life:
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
We’re a family! We’re in this together.
You may also like…
- Anoushka and Diyanshi’s tips on how to deal with May 2021 exam changes.
- Imogen’s post on what happened during the May 2020 results day.