This semester has been quite unique for obvious reasons

This semester has been quite unique for obvious reasons

This semester has been quite unique for obvious reasons. Never did I fathom the possible occurrence of the events we are now living through. There are many things which I and, definitely, most of my course mates took for granted in the early days of our venture into this course, chief among these the close interaction we shared between us students and with the lecturers, too. The prospect of these minor privileges being wrenched from our grasp at such a moment’s notice never occurred to me, hence made the process of adapting to the new norms of life all the more challenging. I have to say, though, the effort put in by the administration to make certain our continued learning was by all means commendable. Taking online courses was a first for me, and getting used to it was understandably difficult. I often found myself having to catch up on the others at certain points, but the sheer will and determination to adapt pushed me past these obstacles, till the end of the semester eventually. I came out of the experience with a whole new perspective of life, that is, how fast everything can change and how adaptive one has to be in the face of such changes.

Some of our lessons also built me, both as a student and character-wise. Our reading on Grit by Angela Duckworth changed my opinion on the mechanisms needed for success as a student, and in life, generally. The emphasis on grit over one’s IQ as the major deciding factor on the success of a venture he/she takes part in is warranted, and is something we have witnessed as students too. This helped me greatly, by making me view failure, not as an obstacle, but as a part of the process for my eventual success, an outlook that has made me a better student and person.