Name: Ashraful Khan | Program: Mechanical Engineering – BASc and MEng | Graduation Year: 1T5 PEY |
I finished my undergrad in 2016 and completed Master this year. So technically I am an alumni and a graduate of current year.
Here is my short story:
The pandemic had me physically separated from my family, friends, classmates and colleagues completely. Due to the isolation, initially I was hit by a withdrawal symptom in accepting what was actually happening. Studying at U of T since 2010, I have hardly witnessed any class cancellations and therefore it felt quite strange to see changes in schedules, transferring of physical lectures to online and various virtual exam accommodations in play. Being an individual with a personality of being shy and self conscious, I never approached any Professor/instructors directly when I was struggling with my assignments or understanding the concepts; rather relied on materials online to provide me with the knowledge I require to prepare myself for upcoming tests and exams. For a change, when classes turned online, it was very easy to express myself without showing physical presence and that actually helped me to learn a lot and grasp material much quickly. I grew the courage to send more emails to the instructors asking from simple to technical questions and those communication at an individual personal level helped me to survive my semester that was affected by COVID-19. I am taking the time to thank my Professors and university for sharpening my communication skills and to remind me to seek help when in need. There are lots of them available, all one needs is the courage to reach out.
https://ca.linkedin.com/in/ashrafulkhan/