Items
Tag is exactly
reflection
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2020
Dystopian utopia
During covid I almost failed high school. Quarantine occurred during the end of my sophomore year and all of my junior year. These years are exactly the middle years of highschool and it being online felt dystopian yet sort of utopian. Sophomore year online classes were my best grades in highschool. When they were just figuring out how to manage online classes, the workload was much easier than in person classes and the teachers were more understanding due to the circumstances. Junior year started and the longer that zoom classes continued, the less I felt the need to keep up with work. Having online classes didnt feel like being in class and skipping/sleeping through class came easier when I was already doing classes in bed. Especially when learning that a whole year of my highschool time was going to be remote, it made me lose motivation for grades. It was more so that grades felt like something that doesn’t really exist. I was here at home, locked inside because of a global crisis, and I had these FaceTime calls as class. Socialization was the main factor that motivated me to go to school in the first place. I prioritized socializing online over grades since I’m an extremely extraverted person who relies on socialization to feel energized. This led me to the most chronically online time of my life. I became practically nocturnal, staying up all night to play games or FaceTime with my friends. I met a lot of people online as well, people I am still friends with. Towards the end of the school year, I was failing all my classes. During Covid they had this policy that students couldn’t really fail, or that teachers had to provide more assistance to students who were failing. I didn’t really know what policy it was, I only heard about it, but it definitely worked in my favor. Last week or two of classes I had to complete a shortened list of assignments and if I completed them I would get a passing grade which wouldn’t affect my gpa. I completed them and then it was summer when we started getting used to going outside again. Quarantine time felt definitely dystopian, with toilet paper wars and a global lockdown. Throughout that, it brought a new perspective on what we really have and having reduced responsibilities, knowing that the world had enough resources for us to not have to work for a year but instead be provided for by the government, felt utopian. It felt like, for many, that we have been on a grind mindset for so long when we are a developed and advanced society. We have abundance to share, nationally, and are past the point of just survival. All in all, covid was an eye-opening, very weird time. -
2020-03-13
Shanika’s COVID-19 EXPERIENCE
Life During COVID -
2020-04-01
My Cooking Covid Experience
The item I am submitting is my personal experience and story during the time of covid. My story shows that the pandemic actually served many advantages as it did with disadvantages. It opened the doors to many new hobbies that I have now and still hold on to. It is important to me because during covid I had a lot of time to reflect on my self, my capabilities, and things I am made for. -
2024-09-26
When Fear Took Form
I am sharing my story about the Covid -19 pandemic because the experiences changed my life for ever. I have read so many people in the past related stories of their experiences, and i am glad they documented those , because i am able to learn about the wars, the depression, the pandemics and so much more. Therefore i want to make sure i leave my experience, so the next generation can know what it was like living through that period in history. -
2022-11-08
The Sunset of covid-19
My experience with Covid 19 was all over the place. If I were to describe it in one word it would be chaos. I remember going to Kingsborough Community College at the time and just everything shutting down and not knowing what to do. I remember all my classes turning into online classes. During this time, my mother fell ill with covid before any vaccines came out. I remember seeing how ill and bedridden she was. I was scared My mother was going to pass away and started bawling my eyes out to brother. Covid hit alot of my family and I started to become depressed. I ended up dropping all my classes because mentally I was not there. Eventually, my mother and other family members recovered, but some were not so lucky. An old friend from down the block lost their mother to covid. We used to practice karate together as kids with my brothers and her brother. Her mother was Sandra Santos-Vizcaino the first NYC public teacher to die of covid 19. I used to know their mother from the karate tournament and block parties we went to so finding out she passed away made me realize how lucky I was with my family. After all of this I got motivation again to start doing something with my life because at this point i was just rotting in my room for a few months. I ended up finding a job at a covid hotel in queens where I had to always wear a mask, gloves, vizor, etc. I was working alongside some doctors and nurses. It was such a different experience from anything I worked at before. Covid 19 had such a significant impact on everyone's lives and will forever leave a scar in many family's hearts. -
2020-03-13
An unforgettable tale
I remember it like it was yesterday. I was a junior in high school, walking home with my friends. But prior to this, my government professor was very adamant about this new virus spreading around known as COVID-19. I had no idea what it was or why he was so obsessed with this virus. I didint think much of it until I saw the news that there was going to be no school. Later did I know, my life was going to take a drastic turn. Remote learning was a new concept for me. I didint complain since all I had to do was wake up and walk to my desk and turn my computer on for my first period class. It was the best thing ever. I passed my classes with ease and had no trouble learning or understanding material. This “paradise” was going to end when I would reach college. Learning through remote learning was so difficult. I was initially a biology major, which requires a lot of attention and understanding of the material in order to pass but I couldn’t. Being stuck at home was finally taking a toll on me. I wanted to get out of my house and be free. Walk around without a mask and be social with people. That’s when I realized that I was lacking social skills. It was sophomore year when schools were opening up. I was excited. Arriving at my first class and I was stunned. Seeing so many faces. I was scared. I didint know what to do. I wanted to leave as soon as possible. This “fear” would stretch until senior year of college when I started becoming more comfortable with my peers around me. Using the resources available for me. I can safely say I’m finally growing out of this craze known as COVID-19 -
2020-03-13
An unforgettable experience
I remember coming out of school, walking home to celebrate my moms birthday. Prior to this, my teacher was, once again, talking about this new virus called COVID-19. He was very adamant of this soon to be pandemic. He was always informing us to stay safe and education might take a drastic turn in the future if the cases keep increasing. I did not think much of it and honestly thought he was going crazy. Later did I know, he was right all along. I was one of the unfortunate ones that graduated high school online which I was not bummed out at first but later on realized that It was missed out on of my biggest milestones. Speaking education wise, it was really fun since all I had to do was get up and turn on my computer for class. It felt effortless and assumed that school from now on is going to be the easiest thing in the world, until I got to college. Remote learning in college was, by far, the worst experience in the world. When it came to concentrating and understanding the concepts, it was really hard. I was not doing well in any of my classes. I hit a roadblock. I was fortunate enough to manage and pass my classes with the help of my sister but I would soon hit another roadblock in my life. In my sophomore year of college, we were allowed to take in person class which I jumped to the opportunity but I struggled with on of the basic necessities every human being should have. Be social. I was always a shy person who kept everything to himself but the pandemic reinforced it to another level. I was not able to participate, or even join any clubs because all I wanted to do was rush home. I did not want to interact with anyone. It would take a toll on me since I started to go down a path of deep sadness and lack of energy to do anything. I missed a lot of my assignments. Skipped school. I did not want to associate myself to school. I, once again, was fortunate enough to find help and escape this reality I was creating in my head. That the outside world offers so much and I started to enjoy school. It is the 23 of September and I can safely say that I am reaching a level where I found impossible when I just started college. I found a rhythm that fits me and my needs and I am not stopping. -
2020-07-01
The hidden costs of the pandemic
Covid-19 was a surprising event that has shaken how many view the world. I am here now retelling my story on behalf of HNSC 2100, Fall 2020, M. Horlyck-Romanovsky. The pandemic has brought the worst in many. People were selfish, people took advantage of those who were desperate, and there were countless fights for small things in stores when it wasn't a big necessity. It brought me to think that humanity is really that selfish. But in a turn of things, it also brought together many people. Those who cared for one another were always there to talk to, sharing what they could and giving helpful advice to handle this pandemic. This leads me to my family and friends. When it first began, I was scared and felt all alone. My friends were the first ones I'd contact and first hear from. Worry washed over me when I realized there were certain friends I rarely talked to, making me want to go through who I had contact with and those I didn't. Time felt short and precious as you see many people's lives ending too soon because of this virus. In a sense, it made me value life more. While this opened my eyes to one side of life, it also opened my views to another part of life. When there is a more significant issue, those in power still refuse to do what is for the greater good, but instead for profits. What could have been a perfect time to provide resources and funds to marginalized and those in poverty communities they desperately need to prepare for a foreseeable shutdown? Instead, nothing was done for a while, and jobs were taken away to keep everyone at home. There was money to use, especially in bigger businesses and the Government, but it needed to be seen as profitable. What was worse about this was that I actually worried that the Government wouldn't have money in general, but looking into how more prominent corporations asked for millions, if not billions, in compensation for lost revenue, which they did receive in the end, made me extremely upset at the priorities of where our society is. Not only first losing faith in humanity but also in our own governmental structures. I wanted to grow up to work at these more prominent corporations due to their fame and how they represent themselves. But seeing this and the lack of giving back for the greater good, I have lost interest in even being associated with these types of corporations. One big thing that did come from all this chaos was the need to advocate for the smaller groups of people who can't or are afraid to speak up. I now want to work in a place where we can easily provide feedback/assistance to communities that are being impacted but not cared for. I take inspiration from my friends who have been there by my side, taking time when they could and always showing their support. Without them, I couldn't have gone through the pandemic with my sanity intact. While on the topic of sanity, the ways that the cost of living and prices of food went up at such a dire time of need were the most insane part of this pandemic. No one can afford food; it is clear no one is willing to spend on higher quality foods, and it's going to waste, so in turn, the prices would go down, right? No. The entire industry would rather destroy their own crops than give them away at dirt-cheap prices when it would have benefited everyone. Getting rid of the excess waste while making some money for selling it cheaply and the people can actually eat healthily as the prices plummet due to an abundance of this resource. Being a good defense against the virus if your immune system is at its peak! It infuriates me that this did not occur. My family struggled to make ends meet and put food on the table. It was the first time I had to reach out to food pantries, and I saw such long lines. It was a saddening sight to see. Every day, week, month, you'd see a line. Just how many really needed help, but no one could provide it. And when help did arrive, it was a measly couple hundred dollars or close to a thousand after half a year of suffering. If only food prices would have gone down as the entire world was going down, too, that would have been a blessing in itself. Even today, it is hard not to find myself using a food pantry. I wish I wasn't and didn't require these services, but it has become a regular occurrence ever since the pandemic. Now that it has quieted down while still occurring around the states and the world, the virus has taught us one thing. We must be ready to fend for ourselves; it is a sad truth, but it has become an untrustable and helpful place for the Government. I hoped we could move toward a better future, but this wasn't true. But that is what I took from this, and I plan to do work to combat and help others. The one good thing I see that came from this is my experience. -
2020-04-11
A story under the pandemic
The sudden outbreak of the epidemic in 2019 caused me to experience many more firsts in my life: my first online class, the first time I needed to wear a mask when I went out, the first time I had to take my temperature to be sterilized when I went to the doctor, and the first time I graduated high school in quarantine. In just a few short months, the outbreak spread across multiple countries turning into a global resistance, with new cases and even deaths increasing every day. Schools were closed and students were told to stay home. When I saw these real and ever-growing numbers, it was not easy to feel good. But after all, I was just watching the data on my cell phone refreshing, in fact, I have not really felt the seriousness of this virus. Until I saw a video: a girl's father because infected with the virus, due to the development of too fast, the father in just a few days time passed away, the girl looked at her father's funeral car drove away, which really found that the father is really gone, never come back, the girl through the mask towards the police on duty at the roadside disappointed and helpless shouted out a sentence: I have no father! That was the first time I felt the horror of this virus. In addition to my automatic daily tracking of the latest progress of the case, social media was flooded with all sorts of bad news about the outbreak, including how it was spreading, the misery and agonizing struggles of the infected and their families, and so on. I was so worried about myself or my family members and friends being infected that I was constantly urging the elderly members of my family not to go out, so as not to be infected. At the same time, the frantic buying of masks, goggles, sterilizing alcohol, and so on, by many people was increasing the fear of the disease. As a result of the epidemic, I know that many people are suffering from mental health problems such as insomnia or anxiety. I am one of them. -
2020-07-07
Title: Navigating New Normals: Embracing Vaccination for Access in Brooklyn
This shows my point of view and experience to the pandemic -
2019-09
Covid-19 Changed my Life
The item that I am a submitting is a short summary of my experience during Covid-19 -
2021
At Home
The pandemic had caused us all to stay home, families were all living all day everyday together. For me this meant that I was spending more time with them, more than usual. Before the pandemic had started, my family ran on the same routine everyday, me and my siblings would go off to school, my mom is a stay at home mom so she would spend her time taking care of the house, and my dad would go off to work, he has his own construction business. The only time we were really home together as a family would be the hours my dad would be off of work from after around 7pm. When I was younger he would work many more hours, sometimes as long as 5am-8pm but the point is, he was barely ever home but to spend an hour or two with us and then he would sleep. I did have a good relationship with my dad and so many memories as well but the quality time wasn't really there. It is not like he didn't want to be around but it was that he wanted to work more while he was younger so that he could invest into his retirement and save up more while he can. Once the pandemic started, he was home with us much more. Of course this came with both pros and cons, such as having that quality time with him, but it also meant that there were much more disagreements since we were all together all day everyday. One of my favorite memories from those days were when we had ordered a whole lot of board games and jenga blocks to keep my younger brother entertained (and off of electronics as much as possible). My dad loves to bring in his construction wherever and whenever he can. He would take my brother's jenga blocks and make buildings with it and show off how he so thoughtfully made it so that it can actually hold weight and its not just good looking. The pandemic changed my dad's relevancy. Once lockdown was over, and he was back at work, he started working less hours making sure he would be home by 5pm or 6pm at most and he would spend his evenings with us again. The pandemic changed my life in many ways but my dad is always the first person I think of when I remember those days. He truly does try to stay as relevant in our lives as he can even when he is tired and it's great seeing the effort he puts in. -
2021-03-16
March 16th.
Being in high school going about my normal day and later finding out that we will not be attending school until further notice. -
2020-03-11
A New Normal For COVID-19
The story I uploaded expresses my experiences overall during the pandemic and how it has contrasted and compared with another epidemic as well as how it contributed to people's perspective (worldwide) on COVID-19. -
2020
More Time
I am submitting some personal thoughts that I’ve had while sitting at home during the pandemic. Before my life was constantly moving with school and work and friends and being out and about and when the pandemic hit it slowed everything down. With less time commuting between school I had more time at home to complete assignments to complete housework and still have time left over. I had time to think. I myself am an over thinker so when the pandemic hit and I found myself with all of this time all I could do his thing over and over and over again and play one scenario in my head 1000 times. And then I will go to sleep and I would wake up and think about the next thing over and over again. This pandemic gave me time to really dig within myself and find the things I don’t want to change because I had the time to think and organize. This also brought me into a bit of a dark place because with all this time to think I then began to look back at my experiences and even though they are lessons some of them are filled with regret and fear and anger and that brought me to a dark place. It also allowed me to grow and show me what I can do better, what I can incorporate in my daily life and how to be a better person for me. Even though it was as if the world was on pause my life said play. With all this time I could reorganize and re-prioritize myself and list out my goals and accomplish things that I haven’t had a chance to. It also allowed me to take an extra minute to look at how I’m treating myself and I thought let’s take some more time for personal care let’s take some more time for mental care to make sure that I am OK. Because I was granted more time. -
2020-04-30
Adventure Behind Uncertainties
Different life circumstances bring different versions of us, sometimes it is how we approach it that determines the type of adventure that we are going to have. The pandemic has brought a lot of uncertainties of what our usual lives would be like. For me, it was the repeated days of not knowing what to do next which led me to start reflecting on what I can do now. My first goal in this journey was to reach out to family and friends. During my time of reflection, I realized that I was losing touch with those close to me. Rather than calling once in a while or during birthdays and holidays, I call and text more often than before. My second goal was working on my health. I began making healthier lifestyle choices such as exercising more often, eating healthier food and drinking more water. I also added a skincare routine which I enjoy doing and continue to improve as needed. Prior to the pandemic, I had a passion for painting though I have not really put my skills to use like I should. But recently I started drawing again to bring my paintings to life. Hoping before the end of the year, I can have some paintings to share with family and friends. One of my happiest moment during the pandemic was creating small humanitarian projects such as donating food. It taught me that I can still be involved in my community regardless of the distance. As the pandemic continues, I am still adapting , learning about new ways to improve my health and wellness and continue to find ways to contribute to my community. -
2021-09-27
Unexpected
It's a descriptive story of how covid has affected my life and its important to me because it has a long term affect.