We recently announced that we were looking for students wanting to do work experience with our team, covering digital marketing and content. We were thrilled by the huge response we received!

This weeks blog has been written by Krishna Solanki, a fantastic student from our Programme, who has started work experience with us this week. Keen to get started, Krishna has written a brilliant blog, talking about how she is coping during the Covid-19 lockdown, and giving some tips for how best to cope.

A massive thank you Krishna!

Amongst all the change I’d faced in the past few weeks, it initially seemed difficult to believe that I could form any sort of routine. Even though I have to remain at home, and so technically I have almost complete control over how I spend my time, it felt like quite the opposite: teachers were setting me large amounts of work (as well as my parents!), and I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the sudden shift in day-to-day life. I am sure you, too, can relate.

It should, theoretically, be the best time for us students to “crack on” with our work and organise our working lives, since we’re required to remain at home. However, in practise, it’s normal to feel sluggish and demotivated, which is how I felt at the beginning of quarantine.

However, over time, I did manage to implement and stick to a routine, albeit one which is much more flexible and subject to change than a “normal” school timetable. Since I am a Year 12 student, I aim to work for around 5-6 hours a day, and so averaging around 2 hours of work for each subject per day. In each “lesson”, I have found that the way I work best is by studying the new topic for around half an hour to 45 minutes, to ensure I understand the content. I then complete the work set by my teacher, or complete practise questions to consolidate my learning. I may have to adapt that structure for my different subjects, but I feel that if I do have some structure during the time I study, I will. This did not come to me straight away! At first, I had to push myself to work, as I lacked motivation in the first couple of weeks, but with time, the routine stuck.

I also try to do my own extracurricular activities, such as attending Pathway CTM’s webinars, reading, and taking free online courses. Currently I’m taking one through the Open University, based on managing my money, which I’m finding informative, as well as important. I still also have a fair amount time to do things to relax, such as exercising, keeping in contact with friends and watching TV and films.

Speaking of, I’ve found the best time for me to exercise is late afternoon, once I’ve done all of my academic work. It also means that if I decide to go out to exercise, the streets are generally quieter than during the day. And if going out to exercise isn’t something you want to do, there are plenty of workouts on YouTube, where all you need is some space around you.

I’ve also had time to start cooking again, and it’s been fun experimenting with what ingredients we have in the kitchen. I’ve found that tinned beans are incredibly versatile; they’re not only limited burritos and curries, but can also be used in burgers, salads and even in desserts like brownies and cookies. I do recommend trying out recipes in the kitchen: it’s fun, time-consuming and has the added bonus of gaining a skill!

Here’s one which I’ve made that my family loved: it’s a recipe for black bean brownies, which were incredible! You could also add in other ingredients: I added in some chopped hazelnuts, but you could also add walnuts, or drizzle with caramel.

https://www.wholeheartedeats.com/2016/02/black-bean-fudge-brownies.html