After seven months of closure, the Government gave the green light for schools to reopen with the condition to maintain Covid-19 preventive measures. Academic activities were halted on March 14 after the first recorded case of Covid-19 in Rwanda. Students however recently resumed studies and the new term is expected to last for four months. According to the school calendar, this term will end in April 2021. This is bound to be overwhelming for students especially that they are resuming studies after a very long break. For them to be able to cope, Evangelique Mukampongayire, the dean of studies at Groupe Scholaire Kimironko says that students must have a sense of acceptance for this long semester because they are aware of the challenges that the country was facing. “The pandemic is a global issue and they know the burden it has caused globally, so they should understand the effects of this pandemic and study effectively,” she comments. She says that students should instead endeavour to make the most out of it and recuperate the time they have spent at home. Meanwhile for Robert Akayezu, an architecture student at the University of Rwanda’s College Of Science And Technology says that students should create in them a spirit of motivation. “Of course it might sound tough to stay motivated for an entire semester especially when it feels like it will never end. Now more than ever, it is important to keep yourself motivated so you don’t fall behind in class,” he explains. “Try not to lose focus on what’s at hand, just buckle down and do your work. Hard work will eventually pay off after getting the desired results,” he adds. Switch learning environments More to that, Akayezu recommends changing learning environments explaining that this helps a lot for students studying for a long time. She also advises to at times switch studying from classes, to libraries, laboratories and computer labs. “This does not only allow you to have access to more learning resources but it also ensures your studying mood is maintained as you change the environment,” he adds. Mukampongayire advises students to get involved in extracurricular activities such as joining clubs, sports, prayer groups among others, noting that these will help to ensure that the learning environment doesn’t get boring. “Practicing sports, prayers, joining clubs are one of the things that complements studies to become smooth and enjoyable,” she notes.
