It has been 3 months since I had to fly home in light of the Covid-19 situation, and I cannot help but express how much I miss being at Alliance MBS and being surrounded by my course mates and lecturers.
Especially with the recent examinations that passed, I found myself reminiscing about the times we could revise course material together and share our knowledge instead of doing it through a screen. As part of adapting to the current situation, my course mates and I would share papers with one another and discuss them on zoom calls instead.
I cannot deny that I do enjoy the flexibility in terms of when I study, as lectures and podcasts are recorded then posted online for us to access anytime. It provides me with autonomy in deciding the pace and when/where I want to study. I appreciate this even more so during examination periods as it takes away some of the stress and allows me to calmly recall what I had revised for each topic. The support from my supervisor and academic advisors has also been overwhelming, as they regularly check in on our progress, providing feedback and encouragement.
However, as everything is now conducted virtually, it can be frustrating sometimes when online platforms such as Blackboard face technical difficulties. This happened sometimes during assignment and examination periods, but the school has been understanding enough to grant us an extension on such occasions. Many new resources have also been added to the online Library which greatly facilitates the process of online learning, so students do not have to worry about not having access to materials in school.
Currently, I believe many of us are concerned about career opportunities in the UK – especially for international students like myself who require a Visa to work. The programme team has been very helpful in this regard by providing webinars and virtual career advice to ease the minds of prospective graduates.
Even though Covid-19 has made pursuing an education right now less than ideal, the school has alleviated many worries and concerns through whatever methods available and I hope incoming students can adapt to this new style of learning for the necessary time-being.
