5 things that 100 days in lockdown have taught us

By the end of June, we had spent 100 days in lockdown - almost one-third of a year. The Coronavirus pandemic has drastically changed the way we live, and we needed to adapt quickly.

Working from home, queuing to get into the supermarket, and wearing facemasks, quickly became the norm. Just as lockdown, social distancing, and self-isolation, became some of our most frequently used words.

It's been tough, but we've made it work - and even learnt a few things along the way.

Learning doesn't have to stop

As face-to-face teaching came to a halt, lockdown showed us that if you're determined to learn, then nothing can stop you.

We adapted and moved our college lessons online, set up video calls via Google Meet, and collected work via Google Classroom. Our students embraced it and even produced some incredible end-of-year pieces of work. We loved seeing hair, beauty, and make-up makeovers, online magazines, and online art exhibitions.

For those students who struggled to make it work, we were on hand to supply them with laptops and 4G dongles. Back in April, we were able to help 150 students reconnect with tutors, friends and education.

When we emerge from lockdown, the college will provide more opportunities to learn and upskill. We've pledged £1million of our adult education budget to support local people, businesses and students to gain the skills they need to get back up and running after COVID19.

We can still communicate

Not being able to see friends and family in person was hard. But during the first few weeks of lockdown, we found ways to keep in touch. We adapted to new methods and utilised video calling on Whatsapp and Messenger so we could see our family and friends and even enjoy a lockdown quiz or two!

Not many people had heard of Zoom before March, but by the end of April, the platform allowed over 300million people to meet daily. And in June and July we hosted a week of virtual open events on the platform.

With this in mind, we should take this as an opportunity to stay in touch with friends and speak to family more often than just birthdays and Christmas.

We've got more time to do the things we enjoy

With all this extra time on our hands, lockdown has allowed us to do more of the things we enjoy. OK, those things were quite limited at first, but we had more time.

Downloading audiobooks, picking up a paperback, and watching Netflix, were popular ways to spend the day. But lots of people finally started those DIY projects they'd been putting off or picked up a new hobby.

The internet has been filled with gardening tips and the best apps for learning a language, but it seems the whole nation tried their hands at baking. There have been over 2.7million sourdough pictures posted online since lockdown - and rising (sorry)!

Once lockdown is over, we hope that you're able to make more time for you. Do more of the things that you enjoy, experience something new, maybe start a part-time course. Whatever it is, you're investing in yourself and you shoulldn't feel guilty about it.

Lockdown has been good for the environment

Research has shown that global carbon dioxide emissions fell by 17% compared with 2019. With more people working from home and fewer cars on the road, it would seem that we've benefited from cleaner air.

But that's not all. Locals in Venice have noticed clearer canals and have seen more birds and fish enjoying the water. Goats have been walking the streets in Wales, dolphins have been venturing closer to the Cornish shoreline, and baby loggerhead turtles have been thriving on beaches around the world - all due to less interference from humans!

We're committed to doing our bit for the planet when we emerge from lockdown too. Earlier this year, we signed up to a project that will help offset our carbon emissions. We are planting 6,000 trees in Africa so we can work towards becoming a carbon-neutral college.

Be kind and appreciate what we have

Perhaps the biggest lesson we can learn from this crisis is to be kind and don't take things for granted.

More time with loved ones and more time for ourselves has helped us to put things in perspective. It has been a devastating virus for millions of people around the world, but for those of us who haven't been affected, it's given us time to appreciate what we have.

And we can learn a huge amount from those kind-hearted, good-natured people who step up and go above and beyond when times get tough. People like our tutors who have been making PPE for frontline workers and been fundraising to support local charities and local NHS Trusts. Not forgetting our students who have given up their time to volunteer in care homes and provide help and holistic therapies online.

So once this is over, let's make an effort to carry on doing these things, be kind, be selfless, and appreciate what you have.