Journal 2: Finding Comfort in Such a Bumpy Voyage

It has been a month since I had to accept and try to conquer one of the biggest fears I learned to develop in quarantine — the unchartered voyage of online learning. My friends, who study in other schools who began their academic year ahead, have shared to me that online classes entail so many challenges especially in terms of student adjustment. They expounded that although there are certain benefits, the disadvantages of this new educational setup have been overwhelming for them, and this really made me anxious as the classes commenced.

During the course of one month, these benefits and challenges truly manifested in my experience. Perhaps it truly is beneficial for me that learning has become self-paced and that I get to decide when I am comfortable to study the lessons and read through the modules. I do not need to wake up as early as I routinely do before since I may access my classes in the comforts of our home and there is no need to travel anymore. It is also favorable to be with my family most of the time whom I’ve been with less when the setup was still onsite. However, having been accustomed to learning inside a classroom all these years, where a conducive atmosphere resides and academic discourses transpire, I found it difficult to maintain a disposition geared towards learning in my home. Being an extrovert, I draw energy from the people around me in school, and with their physical absence in my proximity, I found myself low on academic drive. Because my parents also expect me to perform household chores, I need to fulfill my duties and balance them with my educational tasks since I am just at home. Moreover, because of the need to stay in front of my computer screen for a long period of time, my eyes also began straining, causing frequent headaches, and I had to purchase anti-radiation glasses to prevent this. In general, I am still overwhelmed by this new setup and I feel like I’m more physically well and academically competent in onsite classes.

In the face of this challenging chapter of my life, I know that it is in my best interest to strive to adjust and find sources of motivation as I struggle to move forward. Thankfully, my classmates and professors in Ateneo, who are embodiments of Cura Personalis, make this test more bearable and worthwhile. I find consolation in the idea that we are empathetically united in these trials and that people are exerting efforts in making our educational journey more meaningful. It has been to my delight knowing that the Ateneo established our rights and responsibilities as students to continue ensuring our welfare and facilitating our growth. By familiarizing myself with these, I realized the school’s pursuit of forming us as holistic and conscientious citizens by introducing rights and responsibilities that we are to apply not only inside in the Ateneo but also outside the gates of the institution — not only in our student lives but also after our educational journey. The various stipulations of rights and responsibilities in the handbook also give me the idea that our well-being is truly prioritized as we go through the rigors of college education. Rights such as rights to security and freedom of expression, together with the efforts of the Sanggunian in promoting mental health and gender equality, make me feel that care for the whole person is evident in the Ateneo and that indeed, the institution strives to provide a safe space for us. Furthermore, being aware of the varying conditions of school setups in the country, I also feel a sense of grief for those who are not able to exercise rights and responsibilities that institutions provide. Knowing about abusive educational systems that violate students’ rights and impose burdensome responsibilities from the stories of my friends and people in social media, I realized that I am fortunate to belong in the Ateneo. Now that I am somehow in a position of privilege, I am also reminded that I need to make the most out of this privilege so that I can help alleviate the disturbing conditions of the underprivileged, especially in the future.

With a deeper sense of appreciation towards our rights and responsibilities and with my understanding of their importance, I now commit myself to apply them even in this online learning context. Having been blessed with the freedom of expression and the right to participate in policy-making through the student council, I will contribute in raising concerns and grievances and reporting cases of misconduct through proper communication channels provided so that they may be considered and addressed for the benefit of the student body, especially of the most vulnerable members of the community. To attain this, I will also actively participate in constituency checks initiated by the school administration and the student council through online polls and surveys. Moreover, I shall strive to exercise my right to participate in activities such as webinars to explore my interests and widen my awareness about societal issues. Furthermore, with my responsibility to follow classroom policies and procedures set by the school and teachers, I will ensure to study the course syllabi and familiarize myself with guidelines and expectations for me to follow. I will frequently visit the Ateneo Integrated Student Information System (AISIS) and keep track of my status as part of my obligations as well. Given the extensive reliance on online platforms, I will also be responsible in my use of communication and information technology by validating and ensuring that there are no problematic contents in the posts I make and share, especially now that I carry the name of my school and I am expected to preserve the dignity of its name.

Up until now, I am still honestly overwhelmed by the online setup, especially that it necessitates major adjustments on everyone’s part; however, reflecting on how compassionate the institution is in preserving our welfare and how supportive and loving the Ateneo community is, I am positive that I will eventually find myself in comfort despite this bumpy voyage.