From happiness to ephemeral joy

Around a year ago, it all began. A total lockdown have been applied to all Colombian population. Uncertainty was common those days in all areas. Panic was the main player in our minds, making us buy irrational quantities of toilet paper, wondering until when we will be locked in our houses. We all were worried about what wwould go next, are we all going to die? is the food we have enough? is everyone going to turn into some kind of zombies? do we have enough supplies for an everlasting lockdown? Questions that we all set in our minds once.

At first glance, it was a relief, happiness not to have classes for a week. Mini vacation time! we all thought. What we did not know was that all staff of the university was doing their best to get us into virtuality and not interrupt our learning process. Virtual classes were great! You can sleep more, you can attend them in pajamas, eat, not paying attention without the pressure that the teacher would see you not attending him, then, you can be back to sleep. Some other students were happier because virtuality was synonym of more time to sleep. For me, I was able to do more things and play more videogames and do more other things. After a month, it was getting heavier, not in an academic sense, but in an emotional sense. The fact that you were not seeing the people you were used to in the classrooms (even if they were not your friends), see people in their own thoughts walking through the university, the streets. It was something that we started to miss, as we all saw it every day, we did not realize how important that was. Another important factor, was that the change of environment was important for us to be distracted, enterntained. Then, a really important one, we thought that the screen would be an ally, as it has been for us in our cellphones, entertaining us, like watching tv, series, movies or playiing videogames, but it was horrible, how tired your eyes become after hours of being in front of it. Headaches and back pain, are for sure the most common symptoms of the lockdown. The attitude to attend classes were decreasing as time passed by, it was becoming something very monotonous, boring. In that moment a question in all students raised... would I be able to bear another virtual semester? Is it worth? Then, we all asked each other, sounding out what do our friends think about it, in order to take a decision.

Some of us decided that we would be able to overcome it, some with enthusiasm, others with pessimism and some forced to do it. An uncomfortable situation for all of us, as it would not be easy for teacher neither. Since, methodology and work flow of the classes should be different as well, to make it more entertained, not so plain. However, some others keep the same method they have used for over the years. This academic period was not as bad as the last one, since the lockdown as lifted and we could go out more often, for groceries, for a walk but with social meetings avoided. Then as all restrictions began to be dismissed, social life of most people was starting to be activated again, occasional meeting started to appear and it made easier the virtual classes. However, the same bad things were still present. After all, after 1 and a half semester online, we hope to be soon back to the university, enjoying with our friends and teachers, something we thought was to be for ever. We were happy, and we did not know it unitl we lost it.