Dear Coronavirus,
If you were a person, I would probably yell expletives at you that I couldn’t possibly write out loud. But you are not a person, or something punch-able, so a letter will have to do.
From the first day of year 7, students begin to hear the term ‘GCSE’, pushing it far into the back of your mind as they skip around making friends. By year 8, students can’t wait to focus on the subjects they really like for these ‘GSCE thingies’ they see older years stressing out about in the corridors. In year nine, students think they can already taste the long summer before year 12. In year 10 the work begins to pile on before the storm of year 11 mocks and the real thing – GCSEs. After an epilogue of leaver’s celebrations, shirt-signing, leaver’s hoodies-wearing and reminiscing, the credits roll on the largest part of any British students School career. This is what normally happens. Note the word “normally”. In this very generalised timeline, I got to year 10 before things went south. That’s when you came into our lives.
We have survived three national lockdowns but these recent months have probably been the hardest for students. When GCSEs were cancelled, the immediate reaction wasn’t the happiest after the disaster of CAGs last year but we knew things still weren’t going to be easy after the intense struggles of home learning. Social isolation, anxiety over illness and lack of outlets to be ourselves whilst confined to our homes have made a lasting impact on us that can’t be remedied by a break of three months. However, we are persevering. With final exams approaching or in some schools, finished, we can proudly say that we have survived.
You may have stripped us of a nice send-off or time in school, but you’ve done even worse to others. When you are gone we will not remember how you ruined lives but how we pushed through your torment. I don’t want to waste my words on you anymore so here is my message: We are winning and we will win.
Goodbye.
