Studying Abroad (Domestically)

In the height of the pandemic last year, when we existed only as floating heads on a digital screen, a lot of teachers and fellow students told me they hated me.

This wasn’t because I was a bad student, or an annoying one, or because I refused to show Mum’s miniature sausage-dog on screen. It was because I was studying from Perth, living in a state that was relatively COVID free while Victoria struggled through a second wave of the virus and lockdown.

To the Victorians trapped behind bars during the winter, I was living a life of freedom and sunshine, and they – understandably – felt a little envious.

But that wasn’t the case at all.

I moved back to Perth to live with my parents in April 2020 for what I thought would be only a few weeks (oh, what a sweet summer child I was - it grew into twelve months). But for all intents and purposes, I was still in Melbourne. Everything I did – from classes, to book club, phone calls with friends to online events – was on Melbourne time, and all required technology – no leaving the house for these. Sure, I was still allowed to visit cafes, shops, and libraries, but without a car or a job, my options were pretty limited. Still, my mental state fared better than most because the options were there. The friends I left behind in Melbourne, however, were in a rather different mental state. I hated to see my friends so miserable and being unable to do anything about it; there’s only so many doughnut bouquets you can send to people who are unable to go to the gym. Sharing my happiness and successes in Western Australia felt a bit like rubbing their noses in it.

The experience of studying online was kinder to me than most, thanks especially to my Creative Arts degree; writers are already goblins who are rarely seen outside their dwellings and without their laptop. Apart from having to get up a little earlier – time zones, ugh – my classes didn’t really change. In fact, the experience improved. I shared classes with students from Bendigo and other regional campuses that I wouldn’t normally meet, and I found it easier to contribute to discussions via Zoom rather than in a classroom. With many of us desperate for human contact, reaching out and striking up a conversation with classmates felt easier than usual. The online world was an easy one to adapt to, with events more accessible, including international ones. In my experience, La Trobe itself was responsive, understanding, and kind. With my need to stay involved with the university while not being on campus, I (finally) signed up for La Trobe’s programs such as Industry Mentoring and the Career Ready Award, both of which provided me with direction and clarity while navigating my uncertainty over the state of the world and my own life as it was. And I learned – as most of us did, I think – just how adaptable I really was. I’ve learned skills in prioritisation, task balance, and a ‘what have I got to lose’ attitude, all of which I hope to take into the COVID-safe future.

I am the master of studying online, the duchess of time management.

And for the record, I did show Mum’s miniature sausage-dog on screen. I’m not a monster.