Life at Hostel during CMCO
Life at the hostel during CMCO was tiring because of revisions study week for the online final examination. The physical examination was switched to online written examination due to CMCO. One of the practical examinations was cancelled. Luckily, we completed other skill tests right before it started to be implemented. I made a study schedule every time for study week but I never follow it. Making schedule was literally a ceremonial act or my own tradition to remind myself that the end of one semester was coming. I started to do my revision, but being in a cozy room itself is really distracting. The air conditioner was working excellently and the comfort in the room always makes me sleepy. The bed was right next to the study table, seducing me to rest all the time. I turned off the air conditioner to use the heat in the room as a reminder to focus on my revision. I read my notes from laptops to avoid stacking up piles of printed notes which would be troublesome to be disposed of. After hours of reading, my eyes got really dry and strained. I relieved it with artificial tears but honestly, paper-based study notes are better for your eyes.
Other sources of distraction that I personally received were all sorts of noise. One night, I guessed there was a party in the bungalow near the hostel, blasting the area with pop music in Chinese. It lasts for the whole night, I could not do my revision and could not even sleep. That was awful. Sometimes, I heard people screaming downstairs at night. I did not catch the content but that was creepy. There were people stomping the floor from upstairs and someone having a one-man concert in the next door. Noise from the construction site and certain machines working outside shocked me during the online examination. I tried really hard to ignore them and I somehow succeed with aid of ear stud. However, I could not really catch what the lecturer was speaking so not a good solution.
I was lazy to go out for lunch during study week so I had my lunch downstairs and had cereals as my dinner on weekdays. I had cereals for the only meal on weekend. Then, I got phobia towards cereals. I got some delicious snacks from my lovely neighbour downstairs which saved me from the nightmare of cereals. I am not going to take cereals anymore.
The Wi-Fi connection in the hostel was unstable. The problems always arise when I am having online classes or online quiz or even my online final examination. Those episodes of panic granted by the unstable connection really were unforgettable. Luckily, all of them was submitted on time successfully.
Taking online examination at the hostel was acceptable if the more stable Wi-Fi connection and solutions for the external or internal noise were provided. Your strong will to resist distraction and focus on the study was the most important and time management was essential.