In the zone
26 May 2020
Year 11 student Thimeth Wijesinghe also embraced the idea of a more relaxed life, taking it easy during the school holidays and then easing back into schoolwork at the start of term.
“It was quite a reflective time for the first couple of weeks, really good to do nothing and get nothing done and, apart from the 1pm briefing which became compulsory viewing, simply enjoy wasting time ... but then you get to the point where you want to get back to work.”
Thimeth took a novel approach to remote learning and chose to wear his College uniform.
“I didn’t for the first couple of days, but then found I was easily distracted. Putting on my uniform helped me get in the zone, it helped me realise I should be focusing on schoolwork and so I’d sit down and get stuck in. When I changed out of my uniform at the end of the day, it created a distinct separation between ‘work’ and ‘home’.”
As well as participating in some of the challenges set by Housemaster Mike Field – “they were fun, things that everyone could do” – Thimeth also set himself a physical education “smart goal” to improve wellbeing.
“Mine was to exercise for at least 20 minutes a day and to walk the dog – and I feel better for it.”
He liked the freedom of self-directed learning, being able to set goals and choose what he worked on and when, but says it is good to be back at school.
“At school you have friends around, you can toss ideas around, talk with the teacher. It’s more competitive, but it’s easier having structure. In lockdown, you have to be very self-motivated. I noticed the more I procrastinated the longer a task would take, and I discovered sometimes work is just something that has to be done.”
