December 2021
Sebastion Skrzynski - TRACKS - Tertiary Preparation Program
Study a great way to spend lockdown
When the COVID-19 pandemic left many Australians stuck in their homes across 2021, current TRACKS Tertiary Preparation Program student, Sebastian Skrzynski, decided to enrol in online study during the strict Sydney lockdowns. With teaching running via live Zoom classrooms, often the first topic of each session saw students from around Australia swapping stories about state-based restrictions, and how they were faring.
Commencing his study in a time of such uncertainty left Sebastian feeling that “the stress of being locked down for an extended period as well as being isolated from family, friends and country was a big hurdle to overcome.” Overcome it he did, and Sebastian is well on his way into his final trimester of the TRACKS program. Using walking along his favourite footpaths in Sydney’s eastern suburbs as a way of unwinding, Sebastian found study was a great way to spend lockdown and was delighted to discover a real community within the TRACKS cohort of students meeting online.
The University of New England (UNE) has a reputation for offering high quality online learningwhich, despite the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, has helped the TRACKS program to enter Trimester 3 of 2021 with a larger than usual enrolment – some 60 students. Dedicated to preparing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students for university study, the program support students to develop their academic literacy, IT, and study skills, building confidence within a community of practice. As TRACKS lecturer and unit coordinator Kate Carter reflects, online learning has helped students “surmount the traditional challenges of distance and build a strong foundation of digital skills, enabling a confident transition into undergraduate study”.
While the world heads rapidly towards a heavy reliance on technology, the pandemic has emphasised the importance of normalising online portals for education. In keeping with UNE’s first Vice Chancellor, Sir Robert Madgwick’s personal mission, to help ordinary people respond to a rapidly changing world, students in the TRACKS program in 2021 have taken on the challenges of online learning with passion.
“Students have shown themselves to be very much up to the task of using technology, joining online classes through Zoom, and fully embracing the experience. The support, encouragement, and respect they have shown one another in this online teaching space has been inspirational. I have never enjoyed teaching so much.” says Kate Carter.
Aiming to complete TRACKS in January 2022, Sebastian would recommend the program to “anyone who is interested in pursuing an undergraduate degree.”
As COVID continues to change what is considered normal and more people are turning to online study, others like Sebastian may be thinking, “Covid is not going to go away, maybe during this time I can do something positive.”
For more information about studying TRACKS
