The Modern Student

The outburst of the pandemic has brought about various transitions in the thought-process of people. Be it a simple job going person or a student. Not the onset but the events that followed changed peoples mentality to follow social distancing and yet be connected. Every sector was affected adversely apart from the pharma industry which was on a boom.

I remember the time when corona was originally reported in India for the first time. I think it might have been the end of January 2020. The beginning of the year went amazing for me with a journey that’s every trekkers dream (atleast in India) Chadar trek. Yes, I was cut off from the world during the time corona was becoming a big deal. Corona was nothing more than a fancy beer for me before the first time I heard that its actually a very dangerous virus. With its outburst, there was chaos all over the world and all we knew was if you get corona you die, period.

The Pretext

So it all started with fear, before corona people limited their internet interactions to ordering food or shopping or watching videos or vlogs, reading news & blogs and nothing more. Few people (Freelancers) who worked and got work online were looked at with suspicion. The relatives and neighbors specially if you could relate, coming to your homes asking with a smirk,” beta ghar par he rehte ho, job ni lagi “. The concept of work from home was really difficult to understand for most people.

Then came the lockdown, the world stopped, economy brought to its knees. The companies trying to find an alternative to make their employees work. Henceforth, it revolutionized the way people used to think, the concept of job and work. Work from home became so convenient and understandable. No more nosy aunties demanding an explanation with a smirk, as they can see their own child working from home.

Anyways, the story I was about to tell wasn’t about corona, but it needed a pretext. The story was about how the trend has changed. Nowadays working, learning, teaching and cheating measures have been modified as per the internet. And this story is about a strange event I witnessed recently.

The Story

One of my jobs apart from developing websites is; to teach students different technologies that would help them in their career. So, I work on a social platform where the students can approach teachers as per the the subject they require learning in. It was just another day, I was approached by a student, he wanted to learn Microsoft Office Exce l. So I connected with him. I asked him what exactly you wish to learn. He called me and told me he was calling from school and wanted my help in excel. So I assumed he wanted to learn excel or probably he has some fixed school course he wanted me to teach.

But as so it happens I got an urgent call from my client and had to cut in between. He kept calling me back to back, so I had to cut my client as I thought there might be some urgency. When I asked him what exactly is it that he wants to learn. He told me he was in the lab and his test was going on and he needed me to solve the excel practical that had been given to him. He asked me to send him a mail of the solved sheet. I just couldn’t stop laughing and he asked me what happened, and I had to tell him sorry I was unavailable for that moment.

Conclusion

This seems to be a pretty simple story. But the fact that the student during his practical registered on a social platform to find tutors and on an ongoing practical which might have had a time limit of what like 1hr or so. He had expected to solve all this online at that very moment. I just wonder how it might have been. Was he desperate that he had to get it solved. I mean there are other ways, much simpler, if you wanted to cheat right? So why go through all this trouble.

Anyways, during our time even if our generation had to resort to cheating. It was not more than getting a look into the answer sheet from the next kid or probably hide notes or book in the washroom(If the child is too bold). If not that then what max that could be done is going to the internet in another tab, if the invigilator was away.

Nowadays, this changing trend is very good. I think so this online trend helps to connect better. As the child who is shy, feels safe to ask questions from him home. Also this opens the door to be more creative and find means to deliver more skilled jobs. Also, it helps the child to find themselves and it promotes skill and talent. To be able to create something that is meaningful and helpful to the society, as per his own vision.

To sum all this up, I was just fascinated and curious on why he adopted such a measure when there were some simpler ways. If you can think of something do share your opinion.

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