Notoriously stressed, tired and aggravated: an A-level student is easy to spot.

This year, however, everything is a little bit different. Everything changed when Covid-19 came along and threw a spanner in the works, creating a mess that nobody knew how to fix.

For Year 11s and Year 13s, this has meant the cancellation of exams and (so far) downgraded A-level results.

And for Year 12s, caught between the two, it has meant limbo.

The feeling of abandonment

Frantically, teachers grappled with the idea of online schooling - something that before lockdown had been deemed impossible.

To replace face-to-face interaction, I have been inundated with PowerPoints. It’s been extremely hard on students such as me, taking essay subjects, as we benefit a lot from class discussion, where new and exciting thoughts originate.

Libraries were shut for months, just as many of us were starting our coursework. This put us in an even more dire situation, with no reading material whatsoever. Our college even granted us the liberty of a reading week. To read what?

The feeling of abandonment and lack of urgency is a difficult one to dispel. Our standard of education has dropped, but there is nothing being done about it.  I am not alone in the way that I am feeling.

As a conscientious student, I found it difficult to keep on top of all my assignments. Work flooded into through my inbox and sifting, prioritising and organising it all became a task in itself.

Thankfully, my teachers have been understanding when my work has been handed in late. It’s extremely easy for an email to get lost in the many that I receive each day.

Uncertain futures

Parallel to our studies, many of us are starting to map out what our futures may look like: jobs, universities, apprenticeships. But, because of Covid-19, our once wide-open horizons are narrowing. Our futures are filled with uncertainty.

Then, towards the end of term, it appeared salvation was at hand: schools were reopening.

It was optimistic of me to believe that everyone could return to school at once. All the same, I felt a flood of excitement and relief. I could finally see people! Talk to my teachers!

But it quickly turned out that we - Year 12s -  would not be returning to school. 

The process of the college reopening would be managed incrementally, so that, first of all, the Year 12 students who had not completed their work would be able to return. After that, a process would begin where students would come in for a one-hour-a-week tutorial in a subject of their choice. 

To be completely honest, I felt low. Stuck at home for another few months. Only one hour a week of learning for one subject, when I felt I needed a lot more.

Silver linings

This is not to say online learning has been a completely negative experience. In many ways, I feel as if I have developed as a learner, and have accumulated vital skills that I might have not gained if I had been at school.

For example, coming up with my own ideas was daunting. But, through lockdown, I developed my skill as a writer, finding myself more assured and confident.

What’s most frustrating, though, is that while zoos, pubs and Primark were reopening, the education of so many children was being neglected.

I feel that Year 12s have been ignored - forgotten, between the exam cohort above and the one below. So here I am, providing the voice for the many who can’t say what they need to.

Aaminah Azoor is a Year 12 student, attending college in West Sussex