How COVID-19 Affected My Senior School Year - From the Diary of a Youngster

Through this article, Arvind Arnav reminiscences how he felt on cloud nine after completing his grade Xth examination in March 2020. However, to his bewilderment and lakhs of other students, lockdowns had to be imposed in India and all over the world due to the threat of spreading of highly contagious COVID-19. Life has not been the same since then as the schools have not re-opened since that time and social distancing became a necessity, travel was restricted, and schooling became online. Arnav also feels that the continuing experience of living in COVID-19 times is direct evidence of how disturbing our natural environment and ecosystems can lead to an unstable environment and grave consequences for the mankind.

- Arvind Arnav

It was March 18, 2020, the last day of my grade Xth board examination. All of us were very excited that grade Xth board examination was finally over and we were looking forward to reopening of the school for grade XI. The world looked so promising and bright. Each one of us had plans for a much-needed vacation to recharge and boost our energies for the challenges ahead. We did not realize that we were about to witness a manifestation of the famous saying, ‘Man proposes, God disposes’. I decided to let out my anguish through this narrative as I still stand at crossroads, not sure when the schools will reopen, or probably remain closed for the entire duration of grade XII.

In just a few days, things came to a standstill. The world was almost like a new planet and nothing was the same again. My heart yearned for the earlier times. Our real world was taken over by a virtual one. Lockdown of various forms became a rule, as we witnessed a slow and steady advance of COVID-19 all over the world. Online chats and phone calls took over the comfort of physical presence of friends. As social distancing became a necessity, travel was restricted and unfortunately schooling became online.