A UNIVERSITY STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVE ON THE CURRENT GLOBAL CRISIS KATE SCARBOROUGH

The impact of this pandemic is almost unfathomable. Not only has there been a tragic loss of life, the disruption to daily life will have a knock-on effect for years as our economies recover.

The current global crisis is an unprecedented challenge for mankind. In living memory, we have not been faced with a crisis that has affected our international community so drastically and indiscriminately. At the time of writing, there have been over 1.3 million cases of COVID-19 reported worldwide, and almost every country has been affected. Many countries have imposed restrictions on freedoms that have never been seen before. In the UK we are usually fortunate enough to have a lot of autonomy and freedom, and the shift to going into lockdown has been a jarring one for many. The impact of this pandemic is almost unfathomable. Not only has there been a tragic loss of life, the disruption to daily life will have a knock-on effect for years as our economies recover. Almost every person has been affected by this outbreak and each will have their own account of how it impacted them. As a final year law student this pandemic has hit at a crucial time in my life and professional development and I am glad to be able to share my experiences and perspectives.

Firstly though, my thoughts are with those who have sadly lost their life, a loved one, or have suffered from this illness. I’m also thinking of anyone who finds themselves in a situation where they do not have access to necessary resources, and those who are living in poverty or unsafe environments. This crisis has really made me stop and reflect on how lucky I am to live in a comfortable and safe home where I have access to essential resources. When I talk about the difficulties this crisis has caused me, I am very aware that there are people who have suffered greatly.

HOW HAS THIS PANDEMIC AFFECTED UNIVERSITY STUDENTS?

My experience with the University of Dundee has been that staff have made a huge effort to adapt to this challenge and support online learning. As a fourth-year student I usually attend a mixture of lectures and interactive seminar groups. During this crisis, all the resources I need have been digitised and my classes have been run online, using software that allows students to interact via video and microphone software, or using a typed chat box. Exams will now be run online too, meaning the format has changed significantly, and graduation ceremonies have been postponed. All of these changes have presented a challenge for me, and I know many of my peers feel the same. Adjusting to online classes has been difficult and the changes to the exam procedures has been stressful, especially for those in our final year. It has been difficult for me to remain motivated and focused in such uncertain times. I have felt a great sense of loss as my final months of University have been completely changed and I feel as though I am missing out on these last experiences. Personally, I was also due

to represent Scotland in the Telders International Mooting Competition in the Hague in June as part of my dissertation project. This would have been the biggest event of my professional career so far. My team have worked for months to prepare and I was incredibly honoured and proud to be part of the competition. I have felt a great sense of loss for not being able to participate in the final stage.

SO, WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE?

For me, the COVID-19 lockdown has been like pressing the pause button on life, it has forced me to take a break and reflect. At this crucial time in my life it has made me think about what I can learn from this experience and how resilient to change I can be. I have been able to adapt to these strange circumstances to finish my last semester and make the most of my four years of hard work. I have had to take stock of my feelings and my reactions to stressful situations to learn how I can manage this to remain motivated and productive. My degree has always required a high level of self-discipline, but this lockdown has been the greatest test of that yet. Most employers will ask job applicants to tell them about a time they have had to overcome a challenge. The graduating class of 2020 will perhaps have the greatest example of this, working through this lockdown at one of the most crucial stages of their professional lives.

As a wider community, this global crisis has encouraged a system of support on personal levels and as a global effort by world leaders to prevent the spread of this virus. People have come together to support each other in these stressful and uncertain times. Our essential workers have worked tirelessly to keep us healthy and safe and the gratitude our society has expressed has been heart-warming. I hope that if anything positive can come from this crisis it is that we are all reminded of our humanity. That we continue to acknowledge how interconnected we all are and the importance of our global and local communities. I hope we all stop to appreciate the little things in our daily lives that we so often take for granted and we take lessons from this time to make us more adaptable and resilient to life’s challenges.

KATE SCARBOROUGH

About

Kate is a final year University student due to graduate from the University of Dundee with a degree in Dual Qualifying Scots and English Law (LLB). She is a very active member of the law school and has represented Dundee University and Scotland in Mooting competitions over the last four years. Kate is particularly interested in criminal law and international law.

Linked In- www.linkedin. com/in/kate-scarborough71438b139 Email- Kate_1208@ hotmail.co.uk