Cindy Suryadi, 14, “Online Learning Has Let Me Get Better Rest!”

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It's been a tough month of lockdown in Beijing, with families having to adjust to online learning and working from home, among other changes. In the midst of this upheaval, we talk to the younger members of our expat community to see how they are coping.

Hi! I’m Cindy Suryadi, and I’m from Indonesia. I’ve lived in Beijing for 11 years and I go to the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB). Some interests of mine include volleyball, football, reading and socializing.

What’s a typical day like for you during this “lockdown”?

A typical day for me whilst remote learning usually starts with me waking up 30 minutes before my first class. In these 30 mins I usually get my breakfast and change then hop on my first call.

During my classes (I have 5 a day including mentor block) I do the work my teacher assigns us, listen to the teachers' lecture or if we don’t have a specific task I will work on the bigger project for that class or for another class. I keep a list of things I have to get done and try to finish at least one of the bigger projects every other day.

After online schooling, I’ll usually go outside and play a sport with my brother, or sometimes meet up with my friends. Other times, I bake something or go for a run.

Share some of the challenges you’ve faced and how you overcome them.

Being online has led me to develop a procrastination habit as I don’t have a proper learning environment in which I can focus all my attention. In turn, my work started to pile up. So, I noticed that to get my work done I needed to create that environment within my home. I ended up cleaning off my desk and putting all my learning materials there so it was easier to reach.

I found what really helped me was giving myself 2 hours with a 20-minute break interval to do my work with 100% focus without my phone and distractions in sight. I set a goal to achieve within this time and I did it every day until I was caught back up.

What’s your favorite part of online learning?

My favorite part about online learning is that I have time to rest. Being a student and athlete, most of my time was spent at school and on homework when I got home. But I have found that since online learning started I’ve been able to get a good night's sleep and I often I find myself having too much time on my hands.

What’s one good thing that has happened to you at this time?

One good thing that’s happened to me in the last two weeks is that I’ve reconnected with my old friends that live in other countries. Because I have more time on my hands I am able to get in touch with my friends that have moved away which is really nice.

What would you like to say to your peers?

Not seeing the people you usually see can make people feel really lonely. It’s important to reach out to your friends and to still have social interactions if that is possible. Because we’re online it can be hard to have the energy to reach out but it’s important to realize that we are human beings and social interaction is a part of our nature. We are social creatures and interacting with people is also an important part of our health mentally and physically.

Have someone you believe deserves some recognition for their outstanding contributions to our community? Nominate them for our weekly spotlight by writing their name in the comments below!

Images: Courtesy of Cindy Suryadi

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