My new normal - Life in lockdown as a student

It's been an extraordinary couple of months. The way that we work and learn has radically changed.

We've had to change and adapt pretty quickly to make these new ways of working our new normal. It's been an interesting journey, but we're getting there.

A few weeks ago, you might have read about one of our colleagues adapting to WFH. Since then, Creative Media student and film buff, Liv Kelly, sent us an honest account of what it's been like in lockdown from a student's perspective.

It's an inspiring piece and one we think you'll be able to relate to.

It's been at least eight weeks since lockdown started, and I guess we're still going? I am, just about. How about you guys? Let me know if you're still here. Beyond my house and the doors of the Sainsbury's I work at, I honestly have no idea what's going on. Various meltdowns have ensued over the weeks, and I can't tell you what day it is half the time. Actually, quite often, I can't tell you what time it is either. I've definitely not been anywhere near as proactive as I said I was going to be when I wrote my first journal entry, in the first week of lockdown exactly two months ago. Flicking back a few pages I said something like:

"To be perfectly honest, I'm worried about the effect all this is going to have. I'm pretty much notorious for being able to spend ridiculous lengths of time by myself at home, watching as many movies as I can and not making a single effort to be ready for the day whilst doing so. However, something I heavily rely on is at some point seeing my friends and letting them pull me out of my slumps. I can see this being really tough… I do think, though, that I'll end up being really productive during all of this! The college workload should be easy enough to stay on top of, and this will be an opportunity to get creative in some other ways too - maybe I'll come out the other side of this a totally new person; all creative and with a new hobby or two."

Well. Sorry to tell you all, but unfortunately none of that happens. I got the first half right; I am finding this impossibly hard. The second half, about productivity and creativity and idealism… not so much. To be perfectly honest, the closest thing to a hobby that I've got going right now would be baking, but that in itself is just an excuse to eat tons of sweet treats unnecessarily.

It's a vicious cycle really, the baking is curing the boredom, but I'm not sure there's a remedy for the nonstop need for cookies. After that, my next new favourite thing is logging on to social media to see what everyone else is getting up to, and realising that out of everyone you know; it seems to be that you're the only one in a slump. Somehow, everyone else looks like they're having the times of their lives, and in comparison, you're living a life that resembles something not too far away from a hermit. Except for the religious part. Though, if there is a God: come on, man. It's getting boring now.

I guess I want someone to tell me that it's okay to be as withdrawn as I am, though with everyone trying to be so positive I genuinely feel like a bad friend for not motivating people to get on with things like I am somehow responsible for their reclusiveness because I didn't tell them the better option was to get up and clean the entire house or something.

On a more optimistic note: I have been consuming other people's creativity, which I've loved. On every level, there's something to find and enjoy. For example, my best friends stream a podcast live every Friday evening, during which they discuss a new movie every week, then finish the episode with a new suggestion to have seen by the next Friday's episode.

Also on a Friday, Empire Magazine runs 'Empire Movie Nights', where they'll pick a movie everyone can watch, and tweet live alongside it with insider knowledge and behind the scenes info. This has helped a little with the timekeeping, and I've found real joy in being able to look forward to something at the end of the week. Friday is definitely the peak day.

While all of this is nowhere near ideal, I have found that being stuck inside and having so much time on my hands, I have so much more appreciation for things. Having watched hundreds of movies this year already, I've really been able to focus on them and soak in every little detail, which has just given me the opportunity to fall even deeper in love with it all. My admiration for film has gone up another level entirely, and the strange way in which the world of cinema has had to adapt to distributing film has become quite exciting for fellow movie-lovers and me. Every week, something new is available to us, and we've been blessed with some amazing releases so far.

Alongside film, I've seen some great TV, heard some amazing new music, and have read more books in eight weeks than I had the chance to in the whole of last year. So, while lockdown is proving to be extremely difficult, and while it doesn't look like it's going to be over anytime soon, I think that if you look hard enough, anyone should be able to find some good in all of it.

The main lesson I've learnt is not to judge yourself. Be happy with however you choose to spend each day. Bake a huge batch of cookies for the sole purpose of eating them all yourself. Throw birthday parties over Facetime, get dressed up like you would do if you were going out, stay up until 4 am and then sleep the whole of the next day. Don't feel bad about it. Tidy your room, redecorate the whole thing, move the furniture around and then move it all back next week. Print off photos of the people you miss and cover your walls in them; it really does make it feel like they're there sometimes. And when we do get out of this, never ever take things like family and friends and hugs and coffee shops, restaurants, bars, bowling alleys and college for granted again. Talk to the people you love, be there for each other.

Look after yourself, be generous on your bad days, and remain as positive as you can.

Liv