01/05/20
I don’t think much had hit me until now – a rather delayed reaction.
I have just handed in my dissertation and my final year at university is over! Whilst this is a very proud achievement, it is somewhat bittersweet. Graduation is cancelled until November, and my graduate job is also delayed until the current restrictions are lifted. I’ve heard a lot of graduate jobs are being cancelled or deferred, which is quite crushing for fresh graduates; a very odd time for students all round.
I already feel as though I don’t know what to do with my time. I’ve (luckily) been very distracted prior to the last few days, with new online teaching, university exams and working on my dissertation. That being said, I’ve not been oblivious to the current situation. I have a family full of teachers, NHS workers and hospice volunteers, all risking contact with the virus on a regular basis. It’s hard when you have more time to not dwell on that fact. As a history student, I find this particularly interesting because the reality at home is that all of us are healthy, positive and carrying on – something I reflect on as a little reminiscent of attitudes such as the blitz spirit (although of course, in a very different context). I want to be careful when referencing history, however this point in time most definitely challenges my nature as a history student. In this sense I often find it interesting to forensically analyse the activities of the present through the experiences of the past, particularly in relation to social reactions.
Although the boredom has began to hit me, I have more hope now than before. The Prime Minister, having recovered from the virus himself, announced yesterday that we are past the peak, a very hopeful and promising statement. This is another prospect I find interesting as a history student. I don’t think I ever understood the rather deep relationship between a Prime Minister and the state of public attitude during war, or times of great strain. I honestly never thought I’d be waiting each day to see a figure like Boris Johnson or Dominic Raab speak at a podium, and yet here I am. I find watching the updates somewhat reassuring, I like to know as much as I can, some find it morbid but it comforts me to be up to date – I wonder if this is a common reaction?
Dr Kristopher Lovell 