First term during the Covid times

For a long time, however, we didn’t have any solid information on what exactly the plans were for this year. It was obvious that face-to-face teaching will be limited, but there was still hope for some in-person practical teaching or for small-group sessions. With the end of August, it all became clear. The whole of Term 1 would be online. All laboratory teaching will be postponed until Term 2 and 3, should the situation allow it. With this decision in mind I went on to weigh my options and finally decided to not return to London in September and continue my studies remotely from Prague. This meant that I had to move out of my London flat, which I was holding on to over the summer with the hope that I might return in September. However, due to travel restrictions and quarantine I was unable to travel to London and therefore I had to move out with the help of my friends in London and delivery services. Luckily, everything went smoothly and a few weeks later I received three massive boxes and I was officially moved out of London and could start my third year at UCL from the comfort of my home in Prague.

Teaching in Term 1 was mainly based on asynchronous lectures, which are prerecorded videos that can be played whenever it is convenient. Incorporated into every subject were also a few live sessions and seminars, which we also recorded for those who for any reason couldn’t attend. I personally quite enjoy the system of online lectures, but I have been quite disappointed at the lack of tutorials and workshops, where one can discuss lecture material and issues with other people as well as the professors.

Even though the university did make some effort to incorporate online tutorials into the remote teaching scheme, I find the direct personal contact irreplaceable and therefore these sessions have not been as productive and enriching as I would hope.

We all had to get used to the new system and it hasn’t always been easy. The situation is new for all of us and unfortunately not everything works as we would ideally imagine it. Suddenly it also more difficult to stay motivated and productive. I personally miss some kind of routine and contact with others, which frequently motivate me to work harder. With all technological advancement of the present day we can achieve much more even during these difficult times but being at home all the time and doing online school can be harder than it seems. Luckily, I managed to find an internship in Prague, which allows me to get out of the house 3x a week and teaches me so much interesting practical knowledge which we might not even have the access to at UCL this year. I am working in the research group of professor Hocek at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry on a project involving the synthesis of modified nucleosides.

Truth be told, it is quite difficult to manage both work and school, but I am extremely grateful for this opportunity, as it has allowed me to learn so many new things and it has also given me a place to go when everything was closed.

The first term is behind us now and the situation with the pandemic does not seem to be improving. The prospect of face-to-face teaching in the upcoming terms seems less and less likely, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves…