‘Lockdown: A period of skill mastery’
by: VEDIKA BANSAL
The World Health Organization’s when declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, terms such as “self-isolation”, or “lockdown” have been excessively used by people from across the world. Besides heightening anxiety, boredom is another common emotion that is being experienced by people worldwide. Amidst the closure of educational institutions, business organizations/entities, and social spaces, learning to spend time productively within the confined spaces of the home has become challenging. Streaming services such as Netflix, Prime Video, Hotstar, and many others have posed to be a major boon in this lockdown as people have found solace in it. However, these streaming services are unable to completely drive away their boredom. While people have become cautious of crossing the threshold of their houses, their needs and wants are effectively being fulfilled on online platforms. Purchasing basic commodities such as groceries to something luxurious like beauty products or clothing has been achieved in a moment.
Besides captivating people towards spending money into materialistic goods, the presence of hundreds of free courses ranging from science, business to creative and IT would be advantageous to the public. Some e-learning sites such as edX and Coursera, are providing different courses at no cost. By taking an introductory course or studying the basics of a new subject from prestigious initiations, one can come to know whether it’s the right fit for them or not. Seeking online learning could enhance their existing knowledge and broaden their horizons. Irrespective of age, individuals could attempt to develop or improve a particular skill through online learning which would play a pivotal role in personality development, mental satisfaction, boosting morale, and also aid in future-proofing of the course ambitions. Talking of online learning, Duolingo is an app that provides the opportunity to learn unique languages online. This can be a fruitful skill to add during the lockdown. This app has observed a 148% increase in sign-ups in the US, especially during March. Thus, through this app one could master over around 30 languages via a plan which is personalized to your ability to speak, listen, read, and write. This could help a professional build good communicative abilities when he/she travels overseas, could provide an edge in college/employment prospects, and motivates individuals with the flair of learning languages to further refine their skills.
We can work on the improvement of our culinary skills during this lockdown. There are plenty of recipes published online by proficient chefs. Short-term courses are being offered by revered culinary schools from around the world, and e-learning websites can help add this new skill to our lives.
For the connoisseur of photography, the lockdown is the golden opportunity to start the journey of learning this art via popular e-learning websites like Skillshare, Udemy, and Creativelive.And also, for the musicians like me, who were unable to devote time to playing instruments due to hectic class schedules at the university, the self-isolation period is the best time to refine your vocal skills or learn a new musical instrument. There are numerous benefits of learning an instrument that encompasses the improvement of memory and motor skills, hand-eye coordination, auditory skills and is proven to be a great stress buster too.
Film-making has become more widespread due to the presence of technology like smartphones. The usage of free software such as windows movie maker, I movie, or powerdirector could aid in learning the art of film-making.
Numerous skills can be added during this lockdown. One must be motivated and intrigued to identify their passion and utilize this period to master over them.
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