Lockdown has changed lives completely. There is no doubt about it. Lots of us are missing our family, friends and all the things we could do before this pandemic began. However, thanks to the internet not everything is bad, and the staff at Bournemouth University have shown to be very supportive in this time.

So if you too are struggling during this period, here are how I am experiencing uni life and the things I learnt after one and a half month of lockdown.

Changes In Uni And Daily Routine

The big change for my degree, MA Creative Writing and Publishing, was of course the shift from face-to-face to virtual settings.

Although it was strange seeing my teachers and course mates through a screen in the beginning, the daily routine for the week felt pretty much the same for me. You get up, have some breakfast then head over to your lesson. Of course, the difference is not having to hop on a bus to get to uni.

It is relaxing in some ways, but it was hard to find the motivation sometimes, especially since all our big events got cancelled, e.g. book launches, writing expositions, Bournemouth Fringe, the London Book Fair… So that was a bit of a hard blow for me in the beginning because one of the big reasons why I joined this MA was to get writing experience and put myself out there as an author before joining the workplace. So we did have to adapt our projects.

Jessica’s Website Screenshot

However, we still are working on some exciting things that are virtual. For example, I am currently working on a marketing campaign to promote my dystopian book, The Prism, through social media, which also involved creating book covers and an author website. Not long ago, we also had a Skype session with a freelance editor at HarperCollins and a London Book Fair webinar with the Heads of Rights of Hachette and Simon & Shuster, which was amazing to have.

London Book Fair Webinar Screenshot

Keeping safe and sane

Wellbeing is another one of the challenges that came with lockdown. The challenge for me was of course missing my family and being alone in a situation that seems never-ending. So the most important thing I learnt with this lockdown is just accept the situation. We can’t do anything about it and it’s okay to be anxious. It means we are human after all. However, it does not mean we should be miserable.

What I do to keep my positivity up is just keep busy. Whenever I need a break from uni stuff, I turn to creative things like painting, playing music or baking. Talking to the people you care about also works for me, I have daily calls with my boyfriend, weekly calls with my family in the Netherlands and calls with my course mates and friends. Talking keeps you updated on what is going on and makes you feel closer to the outside world. Plus, it is something to look forward to in the day!

Jessica | Painting in my room

Hope this article was helpful in giving you an idea how us PG EU students are pushing through lockdown. Don’t forget, Bournemouth University’s Wellbeing team also has some helpful tips on how to cope through this situation and are always ready to talk when needed.