32570: All work and no play

Despite lockdowns, general stay-at-home orders and the inability to leave Oxford or visit friends an family, I have learnt a lot about adapting to the situation and keeping calm over the past year. I have encountered obstacles in getting access to the lab, which is so key for work. Since labs re-opened in May 2020, I have managed to maintain a routine of lab work, data analysis, preparing and presenting at meetings, findings new networks in the virtual sphere and explored new methods and techniques for my research. I have cleared hurdles from all directions and felt confused when the university undergraduates started their lab placements (in-person) despite government-implemented restrictions on all other facets of life. I stepped up my volunteering duties across Oxford, feeling guilty for not being close and on-hand for my parents up north, to help those who might feel isolated or alone in Oxford. I have stuck to the rules. I have grown a whole new outlook and way of life that will stay with me long after this year.