Student Insights: In Conversation with Stacey Conteh

Our Marketing Executive, Parveen Bhambra, had the pleasure of virtually sitting down with postgraduate student Stacey Conteh to talk about her experience of continuing her Masters in Creative Writing at a distance, during the first UK lockdown in March 2020.

PB: What was your first thought when you heard you’d be studying for your masters at home?
SC: In all honesty, my initial thought was ‘what am I going to do?’ It was one of the most insane experiences I’ve ever had, a sentiment I think a lot of students may agree with. But it was a good one.

PB: So how did you manage during lockdown?
SC: At the beginning, I found it hard. I panicked a lot. I live with anxiety and depression and they both skyrocketed during lockdown. It was very rocky at first. I also have a condition called Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) which affects how the brain and body send and receive signals, impacting how the nervous system functions. Along with anxiety and depression, I also experience intensified versions of fatigue, chronic pain and insomnia. I was adamant that I wanted to pursue and complete my studies and I didn’t want my condition to stop that. As time went on and the idea of lockdown settled into my psyche, I was able to focus more. I also gained more time as I didn’t need to travel to campus.

"I used my mornings more productively for pre-reading and meditation, as opposed to my commute from South London to West London."

SC: Having said this, I did miss the interaction of being on campus. Interaction with my lecturers, meeting new students in my class and setting up peer-to-peer groups to work together. I made a few connections but the discussions ended when the lectures ended.

PB: How were your days set up?
SC: I planned out a rigid routine which I am proud to say I kept to. After waking up early and getting ready, I would have my morning coffee, followed by meditation on some days, or pre-reading. Then I would attend my online classes in the afternoon. Where I had morning lectures, I would complete my pre-reading the night before, followed by evening meditation.

PB: Did you have online classes/sessions?
SC: All my lectures were online. The set up was slightly different for one of my final modules. Campus had slowly begun to open again and our module leader gave us the choice to return to face-to-face lectures. I decided to carry on at home, and I excelled. Despite not knowing what to expect at the start, I was able to focus and concentrate more while studying at home. I was in my own space with my creature comforts. I felt more confident too. In a traditional class set up, I wouldn’t participate as I felt quite shy, but with the online lectures, I felt the opposite.

Education Imitating Life...

The module that Stacey refers to, Human Development, included a topic called 'Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes.' After our interview, Stacey explained that she would like to explore this further after studying, and it’s one of her favourite modules on her course. It supported her remote learning experience, and laid a foundation for her future.

PB: How did you communicate with your instructors and peers?
SC: I communicated with lecturers over email, Skype, Microsoft Teams or Zoom. I think we can all say that it was a funny experience at first. I’m quite adaptable and I like playing with new software so I caught on quickly. The lecturers adapted well too and provided me with all the support I needed during this time.

PB: How were your productivity levels while studying?
SC: As part of my rigid routine, I would set hourly timers, followed by small breaks. So I would sit down and work for one hour, and would have a break for 20 minutes. Without fail. In those breaks, I had a hot drink, I walked around, but most importantly, I gave my eyes a break. At times I found my creativity was lacking. As part of my course, I had to churn out large word counts at a time - chapters, essays, poems etc. My writing would thrive on venturing outside and having conversations with friends, family and other people. Without that, I struggled. I eventually found my spark of creativity but that did affect productivity.

PB: What about when you weren’t studying? How did you manage your time at home?
SC: I was very active. Cleaning, cooking, baking, meditation, art – it all helped me remain stable and balanced.

PB: How did you motivate yourself and manage distractions?
SC: Sticky notes! I had them all over my room – very traditional, I know.

"I would use them for to do lists, reminders, goals, manifestations – it really helped me stay organised and grounded. "

SC: When I became unmotivated, my mum was amazing. She encouraged me when I needed it and helped me get back on track, and our pets were a good distraction on the days I needed it.

PB: Maintaining your mental health during this time and beyond is vital. How did you keep calm? Did you practice any mindfulness methods that helped you maintain your mental health?

SC: I downloaded a few apps to help me get through it. A meditation app called Let's Meditate: Meditate, Relax & Sleep (available on Apple and Android) and an app to help me sleep better called Wysa (available on Apple and Android). Happy Colour (available on Apple and Android) is a colouring by numbers app. It was so helpful. When my FND condition became tough to manage and I needed to focus on something, I would sit in the garden and colour. It lifted my mood and made me feel happier. It was like escaping from the world.

PB: Universities have returned to campus, and we hope to see a full return soon, but it’s quite possible that the option of remote learning will always be there as a back-up. Do you have any advice for those students who may find themselves learning at home at some point in their university education?

SC: Set yourself up enough time to do tasks and make sure it’s achievable. Schedule your breaks and make sure you take them. If you are juggling a job alongside university, manage your time sensibly. Don’t try to ‘make it work’ after a 9-5 working day. Give time to yourself as well as your studies.

"I would allocate my weekends to university work so I didn’t burn out in the evenings."

SC: Remember your mental health! You can talk to people you’re close to, or you can seek comfort in hobbies like painting, baking, writing, singing etc. My anxiety would set in more when deadlines were approaching but having a good support network helped me push through it. I can’t confirm university education will go back to normal but I do believe remote learning is not a thing of the past. Having experienced the highs and lows of it, I now don’t see it as a bad thing.

PB: Were there times in your remote learning experience that you really wanted to return to campus?
SC: Yes, during the last module. I felt I was missing out on practical tasks that the other group were able to do. Our module leader tried to involve the online class but it was tough. In those moments, I wanted to be on campus but I chose to stay at home as I had settled into a stable workflow, and I did really enjoy the theoretical parts of the module.

PB: How did you work through this and stay focused?
SC: I changed what was in my control, and that was my set up. I would occasionally work in the garden to get a change of scenery. I feng shui’d my room too.

For more tips and information on maintaining healthy habits, mindfulness and an overall positive university experience, check out our article, 'How to be Zen at University: A Student's Guide to Mindfulness.’

PB: Finally, to end on a note of positivity, what does the future hold for you?
SC: I’ve just started a new job as a Patient Care Coordinator with the NHS. I want to help people experiencing various health issues and provide them with care and support. My own experience helped me reach that realisation. I want to use my Masters and love for writing to amplify the importance of ‘Writing Therapy’ also called ‘Journal Therapy.’ I have a strong connection with this area and I’m passionate about creating stories in that space to help others.

Thank you for reading!

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