Manvir Dobb, November 2020

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Life as a student, as well as a student caller, has definitely changed this year; but that is not to say that all the change has been negative. The University has taken a hybrid approach to teaching, which means that some of our classes are in person, while others are online. This is especially helpful for the considerable number of international students we have at this university who could not make it to Edinburgh this year for in-person teaching.

I was lucky enough to come back to Edinburgh this semester for some in-person teaching since home is only across the English border in Birmingham. I study History and Spanish, both of which have benefitted in different ways from my being back here. All my History seminars are online via Microsoft Teams, which I have surprisingly found myself enjoying very much. I have not felt much a of loss from in-person teaching, and the “break-out rooms” feature means that we can have more in-depth discussions with fewer classmates. Likewise, the library is a safe haven for picking up rare textbooks which cannot be accessed online. Therefore, while I enjoy online classes, the History part of my degree still benefits a lot from my physical presence on campus.

While I was meant to be in Madrid this year, as necessitated by the Spanish element of my degree, the Spanish department has worked hard to ensure that despite not being in a Spanish-speaking country, we are still able to develop our language fluency. I have oral classes’ in-person which I am particularly grateful for. The naturally discussion-heavy class allows for conversation to flow smoothly and allows the professor to intercede when a grammar/vocabulary mistake is made in class.

Aside from work, Edinburgh is an incredibly beautiful city with plenty to do within covid-19 restrictions. I enjoy climbing up Arthur’s seat quite regularly, and even if I am not in the mood for a hill walk, the meadows provide a nice respite to just get some nice fresh air from working indoors. Likewise, the museums here are brilliant. My personal favourite is the National Portrait Gallery. Although it has been closed since March, it is reopening in November, and I cannot wait to book a ticket to visit it again!

Manvir

November 2020