Norms, traditions, stereotypes. We believed that these factors controlled our mobility in life. But then came an attack of a microbe that took over every sociological aspect that controlled our lives: COVID-19. It has been more than a year since our lives have been completely defined by the deadly pathogen. The entire medical force of the world is working day and night to find a cure for the virus. However, it will be a while before things could go back to normal. Till then, we all are learning to adapt to the new normal. This means that all the seniors graduating this year will be most likely attending their Covidcation instead of the Convocation.
Maryam Dawood Khatri is a senior at IBA, who is eagerly waiting for her ACF degree by the end of this semester. She shares with us the shattered expectations and incomplete memories of the senior year. Maryam and her friends had some exciting plans in store to make their senior year as long-lasting as possible. But then COVID-19 had other kinds of plans for all; stay home and make virtual memories.
Special Feature with Maryam Dawood Khatri
The senior year of undergrad naturally comes with a lot of nerves, anxiety, and anticipation of what comes next. Maryam relays her senior year as one where they sat home all year, took virtual classes, missed out on campus life, and never got to make everlasting memories with friends. When we asked her to summarize the senior year for us, she said, that it is mostly about the recruitment season, job applications, and preparing for what awaits them next.
Despite many disappointments that COVID-19 brought along, Maryam is glad that they got to celebrate their last year as what they called the ‘Grad-Week’. Each day of the week, the graduating batch adorned different costumes pertaining to the theme of the day. Maryam says that the best day of the week was the ‘Daaku Day’ where they all dressed up in black and attacked their friends with water guns. Surely, in this Karachi heat, who wouldn’t enjoy a water fight.
Relishing IBA
In a series of questions about IBA, Maryam describes her four years at IBA as a roller coaster ride. The most valuable lesson that IBA taught her was to be aware of ‘fake people’. Here, she also shared a piece of advice given to her by her parents, ‘First-semester circle will not last until the senior year’. Admitting the truth in her parent’s advice, Maryam has also learned to value genuine friends in her life. She advises all the incoming freshmen to not worry too much about grades and just enjoy what the next four years bring to you. Hmm, Dean-Lister are you sure about that?
As Maryam bids farewell to IBA, she is glad to have spent her time here. Even though she is highly disappointed in the Admin, which we all are, she cherishes the opportunities she got in IBA. She was the youngest Unilever Intern and remained a campus ambassador for three years. Never in corporate history, a second-year student has been offered an internship by Unilever. We are proud of you Maryam. As a voice to her entire batch, she hopes that even if they end up having a COVIDCATION 2021 they may at least get a chance to attend their farewell. Well, let’s just pray Maryam that the vaccines become abundant and we can all have our normal lives back.
