Hello, Hivers! How are you doing today? I hope all is well.
Our midterms have just ended, which explains why I have been inactive for more than two weeks 1 month. During this time, I had many requirements to fulfill and needed to study for my exams.
Despite the stress, I found it enjoyable because it had been a while since I was academically challenged, lol. I guess I just missed the struggles and feelings of being a student, which is understandable since I took a break for a year before continuing college.
Looking at my title, you will probably ask what is the connection of my introductory blabbering to the overall flow of this blog. Well, I just want to reflect on myself, on how lucky I am to have the privilege I have right now which I got to appreciate more during our midterm weeks.
Creating a Webpage for our Midterm Project
I am a first-year IT student. Our professor on Web Technologies gave us a project that we need to submit before the midterm ends.
We formed a 10-member group, and the majority of them don't have their own PCs or laptop. I came up with a plan to hold a group meetup where we bring our laptops to share with each other. Luckily, we have four laptops which I think is 'enough' to help others start their webpage.
Different from what I expected, not having your own device is a struggle. That time I can feel their pressure to finish their web page immediately so they can let the next person use the laptop. As a result, they cannot think of or explore a better idea to make their project more compelling. At that time, searching the web for a specific code or a tutorial means additional time, and being in that situation, they can't afford it as we only have limited time.
I felt guilty after reaching back to my home. I can sit comfortably here, in front of my laptop, connected to a decent internet connection, searching and watching for tutorials that can improve my webpage. This is what privilege looks like. This is what I don't usually appreciate, and always take for granted.
Being a Working Student
I have a close friend who performs poorly in her academics lately. We are in the same group in web page creation so I was able to monitor her work and observe her actions. She's slacking and when I asked her to check if there was a problem, she just told me that she was too occupied with her work.
I am aware that she's a working student working from 10 pm to 6 am and then going to class as early as 10 am. She sometimes vents out to us saying that she didn't have her sleep yet because she just came out straight from work. Her work is the first thing that came to my mind, thinking that this may be the reason why she acts differently from her studies, and I am correct.
This woman is amazing. Despite her tight schedule, she still has the time to prepare for our quizzes and then ace them afterward. We both excel in our class, but I believe that she can go beyond me if she just has no other things to do.
When I asked her the reason why she works, she answered, "money." She wants to have her own money so she will not depend on or bother other people for her expenses. She's one of the true definitions of an independent woman, and I am glad that I met her. To be honest, she inspires me to do better in my studies and be grateful for the things that I have.
Our Midterm Exam Proctor
We had a proctor with an eye condition. When she entered the room, everyone became silent. We were sitting in our respective seats just looking at her, but she was not bothered by our fazed look and started distributing the questionnaires.
While taking the exam, I couldn't help but observe and look at her: how she writes and watches over us.
When she reads something, she looks at it very closely, to the point that her eyes and the paper have direct contact with each other. This gives me an idea of how bad her vision is and how difficult her situation is.
I have no idea if she's a professor here at our university, but I think she is. Our exam proctors are professors from another college department, so there's a high chance that my guess is correct.
If that's the case, it must be hard for her to teach and handle her students. But I am amazed at her perseverance to do her responsibility despite her disability. She must love her profession so much.
Final Thoughts
Growing up in an environment that is well-sustained, I didn't have time to reflect on my own privilege, on how lucky I am to have these things that make my life convenient and easy, and how lucky I am to not experience those things.
Our midterm group project taught me to be considerate and understanding of the situation of others. My friend's continuous work grind inspires me to do more. While our midterm proctor reminds me that nothing is impossible with perseverance and hard work.
The purpose of this reflection is not to boast or belittle the hardships of others, but to remind me to be humble and grateful for what I have and to be empathetic with other people. You should, too. This long weekend is a perfect day to reflect on ourselves.
If you've made it here, thank you so much for reading. I always spend several hours just to complete this, which might seem like an exaggeration to others but trust me, it's not 😅. So, the thought of someone reading my work already warms my heart (∩˃o˂∩)♡. Until next time, bye!
